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.. meta::
   :PG.Id: 23892
   :PG.Title: Carried Off
   :PG.Released: 2012-08-06
   :PG.Rights: Public Domain
   :PG.Producer: Al Haines
   :DC.Creator: Esmè Stuart
   :DC.Title: Carried Off
              A Story of Pirate Times
   :DC.Language: en
   :DC.Created: 1888
   :coverpage: images/img-cover.jpg

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CARRIED OFF
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      Cover

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   .. _`"*HARRY'S BLOOD WAS UP.*"  p. 12`:

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      :alt: "*HARRY'S BLOOD WAS UP.*"  p. 12

      "*HARRY'S BLOOD WAS UP.*"  p. 12

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   CARRIED OFF

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   *A STORY OF PIRATE TIMES*

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      BY
      ESMÉ STUART

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      AUTHOR OF 'FOR HALF-A-CROWN' 'THE LAST HOPE'
      'THE WHITE CHAPEL' ETC.

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      *WITH FOUR FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS*

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      LONDON
      NATIONAL SOCIETY'S DEPOSITORY
      BROAD SANCTUARY, WESTMINSTER
      NEW YORK: THOMAS WHITTAKER, 2 & 3 BIBLE HOUSE
      1888  

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      *TO*
      *CLARISSA AND JOHN*

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   *I dedicate this story, knowing they are already fond of
   travelling.  They may be glad to hear that the chief
   events in it are true, and are taken out of an old book
   written more than two hundred years ago.  Yet they may
   now safely visit the West Indies without fear of being
   made prisoners by the much dreaded Buccaneers.*

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   *E.S.*

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      [*All rights reserved*]

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   CONTENTS


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   CHAPTER

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   I.  `THE SACRIFICE`_
   II.  `CAPTURED`_
   III.  `A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND`_
   IV.  `THE PIRATES ARE COMING`_
   V.  `THE SCOUTS`_
   VI.  `HATCHING A PLOT`_
   VII.  `TREACHERY`_
   VIII.  `A BRAVE DEFENCE`_
   IX.  `IMPRISONED`_
   X.  `A FELLOW-COUNTRYMAN`_
   XI.  `THE SECRET PASSAGE`_
   XII.  `A NEW EXPEDITION`_
   XIII.  `THE ESCAPE`_
   XIV.  `DEFENCE TILL DEATH`_
   XV.  `IN THE WOODS`_
   XVI.  `WAITING FOR LUCK`_
   XVII.  `DISCOVERED`_
   XVIII.  `HUNTING A FUGITIVE`_
   XIX.  `IN A LONELY SPOT`_
   XX.  `SAVED`_
   XXI.  `A BAG OF GOLD`_

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   LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

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   `'HARRY'S BLOOD WAS UP'`_

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   `CARLO REFUSED ADMISSION`_ (missing from book)

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   `CARLO BEFORE CAPTAIN MORGAN`_

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   `'SHALL WE LAND?'`_ (missing from book)

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.. _`THE SACRIFICE`:

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   CARRIED OFF.

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   CHAPTER I.

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   THE SACRIFICE.

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It was a beautiful warm spring evening,
and as the sun sank slowly in the west
it illuminated with quivering golden
light the calm waters that surrounded
green, marshy Canvey Island, which lies
opposite South Benfleet, in the estuary of the
Thames.

Harry Fenn had just come out of church,
and, as was often his wont, he ran up a slight hill,
and, shading his eyes, looked intently out towards
Canvey and then yet more to his left, where Father
Thames clasps hands with the ocean.

The eminence on which young fair-haired
Harry stood was the site of a strong castle, built
long ago by Hæsten, the Danish rover, in which
he stowed away Saxon spoil and Saxon prisoners,
till King Alfred came down upon him, pulled down
the rover's fortress, seized his wife and his two sons,
and relieved the neighbourhood of this Danish
scourge.  How often, indeed, had the peaceful
inhabitants trembled at the sight of the sea robber's
narrow war-vessels creeping up the creek in search
of plunder!

Harry, however, was not thinking of those
ancient days; his whole soul and mind was in the
present, in vague longings for action; full, too, of
young inquisitiveness as to the future, especially
his own future, so that he forgot why he had come
to this spot, and did not even hear the approach of
the Rev. Mr. Aylett, who, having been listening to
a tale of distress from one of his parishioners at the
end of the evening service, had now come to enjoy
the view from Hæsten's hill.  As he walked slowly
towards the immovable form of the boy, he could
not help being struck by the lad's graceful outline;
the lithe, yet strongly built figure, the well-balanced
head, now thrown back as the eyes sought the
distant horizon; whilst the curly fair locks appeared
to have been dashed impatiently aside, and now
were just slightly lifted by the evening breeze;
for Harry Fenn held his cap in his hand as he
folded his arms across his chest.  He might have
stood for the model of a young Apollo had any
artist been by, but art and artists were unknown
things in South Benfleet at that time.

Mr. Aylett shook his head as he walked towards
the lad, even though a smile of pleasure parted
his lips as he noted the comeliness of his young
parishioner, whom he now addressed.

'Well, Harry, my boy, what may be the thoughts
which are keeping you so unusually still?'  Harry
started and blushed like a girl, and yet his action
was simple enough.

'Indeed, sir, I did not hear you.  I--I came
here to have a look at our cows down on the marsh.
Father----'

Mr. Aylett laughed good-humouredly.

'Am I to believe that that earnest look is all
on account of the cattle, Harry?'  Harry felt at
this moment as if he had told a lie, and had been
found out by Mr. Aylett, who was so good and
clever that he could almost, nay, sometimes did,
tell one's thoughts.

'No, sir;' then, with a winning smile, the lad
added, 'in truth I had forgotten all about the
cattle.  I was dreaming of----'

'Of the future, Harry.  Listen, did not those
same thoughts run thus?  That it is dull work
staying at home on the farm; that some of thy
relations in past days had famous times in our
civil wars, and went to battle and fought for the
King, and that some even had been settlers in the
old days of Queen Bess, and that, when all is said
and done, it wants a great deal of self-denial to stay
as thou art now doing, cheering the declining years
of thy good father and mother.  Some such thought
I fancied I could read in your face, boy, when
singing in the choir just now.  Was it so?  I would
have you use candour with me.'

Harry turned his cap round and round slowly
in his hands.  Mr. Aylett was certainly a diviner
of thoughts; but Harry was far too honest, and of
too good principle, to deny the truth.  It was his
honesty, as well as his pluck and courage, that
made him so dear to the clergyman, who had
taught the boy a great deal more learning than
usually fell to the lot of a yeoman's son in those
days, even though Mr. Fenn farmed his own land,
was well-to-do, and could, had he so willed, have
sent his son to Oxford; but he himself had been
reared on Pitsea Farm, had married there, and
there he had watched his little ones carried to the
grave, all but Harry.  Yes, Harry was his all, his
mother's darling, his father's pride; the parson was
welcome to teach him his duty to his Church, his
King and his country, and what more he liked, but
no one must part the yeoman from his only child.

And Harry knew this, and yet often and often
his soul was moved with that terribly strong desire
for change and for a larger horizon, which, so long
as the world lasts, will take possession of
high-spirited boys.  However, the lad was as good as
he was brave; he knew that he must crush down
his desire, or at least that he must not show it to
his parents; but he did not try to resist the pleasure
of indulging in thoughts of a larger life, thoughts
which Mr. Aylett guessed very easily, but which
would have made his father's hair stand on end.
This evening Mr. Aylett's face looked so kind that
Harry's boyish reserve gave way, and with rising
colour he exclaimed:

'Oh, sir, I can't deny it; it is all true, that, and
much more; just now I had such dreadful thoughts.
I felt that I must go out yonder, away and away,
and learn what the world is like; I felt that even
father's sorrow and mother's tears would not grieve
me much, and that I must break loose from here or
die.  I know it was wicked, and I will conquer the
feeling, but it seems as if the devil himself tempts
me to forget my duty; and worse,' added poor
Harry, who having begun his confession thought
he would make a clean breast of it, 'I feel as if I
must go straight to my father and tell him I will
not spend my life in minding cattle and seeing after
the labourers, and that after telling him, I would
work my way out into the big world without asking
him for a penny.  Sir, would that be possible?'

Harry looked up with trembling eagerness, as
if on this one frail chance of Mr. Aylett's agreement
depended his life's happiness; but the clergyman
did not give him a moment's hope.

'No, Harry, that is not possible, my lad.  You
are an only child.  On you depends the happiness
of your parents.  This sacrifice is asked of you by
God, and is it too hard a matter to give up your
own will?  Look you, my dear Harry, I am not
over-blaming you, nor am I thinking that the
crushing of this desire is not a difficult matter, but
we who lived through the late troublous times see
farther than young heads, who are easily persuaded
to cozen their conscience according to their wishes.
And if you travelled, Harry, temptations and trials
would follow too, and be but troublesome
companions; and further, there would be always a
worm gnawing at your heart when you thought
of the childless old folks at home.  Believe me,
Harry, even out in "the golden yonder," as some one
calls it, you would not find what you expect; there
would be no joy for you who had deprived those
dependent on you of it.  Take my advice, boy,
wait for God's own good time, and do not fall
into strong distemper of mind.'

Mr. Aylett paused and put a kind hand on the
boy's shoulder.  Harry did not answer at once, but
slowly his eyes turned away from the waters and
the golden sun, slowly they were bent upon the
marshes where the cattle were grazing, and then
nearer yet to where Pitsea Manor Farm raised its
head above a plantation of elms and oaks.  Then
a great struggle went on in the boy's mind; he
remembered he was but sixteen years old, and
that many a year must most likely elapse before
he became the owner of Pitsea Farm and could
do as he pleased, and that those years must be
filled with dull routine labour, where little room
was left for any adventure beyond fishing in the
creek, or going over to Canvey Island to watch
when the high waves broke over the new embankments
made by Joas Croppenburg, the Dutchman,
whose son still owned a third of the rich marshland
of the island as a recompense for his father's
sea walls.  But young Joas used to tell tales of
great Dutch sea fights and exploits, which, if
Harry made the sacrifice Mr. Aylett was asking
him to make, would but probe the wound of his
desire, and so Croppenburg's stories must also be
given up.

Harry's courage, however, was not merely
nominal, it was of the right sort.  The sacrifice he
was asked to make was none the less great because
it was one not seen of men.  He was to give up
his will, the hardest thing a man or a boy can do;
but it needed only Mr. Aylett's firm answer to
show Harry that his duty was very plain, and that
God required this of him.

It was like taking a plunge into cold water,
where it is the first resolution that is the worst
part of the action; suddenly, with a quick lifting
of his head, and a new hopeful light in his blue
eyes very different from the unsatisfied longing
gaze of ten minutes ago, Harry spoke, and as he
did so his clenched hands and his whole demeanour
told plainly that the boy meant what he said.

'I will give it up, sir; as it is, the wishing brings
me no happiness, so I will even put the wishing
to flight.'

Mr. Aylett grasped the lad's hand warmly.

'God bless you, Harry, you are a brave fellow.
I am proud of you.  Come to me to-morrow, and I
will show you a new book a friend has sent me;
or, better, walk back with me to the Vicarage.'

'I would willingly, sir,' said Harry quietly,
'but father bade me go to the meadow and see if
White Star should be driven in under shelter
to-night.  Our man Fiske has met with an accident,
so I promised to see after White Star before
sundown.  She was a little sick this morning.'

'To-morrow will do well enough,' said
Mr. Aylett, glad to see that Harry was beginning
already to turn his mind steadily to home matters,
'and if you have time we will go to St. Catherine's
Church on Canvey.  There is a young clergyman
come there to see if he will accept the cure, and I
know you will row me over.'  Harry promised
gladly, and then Mr. Aylett with another shake of
the hand turned his face homeward.  When he was
gone Harry flung himself on the ground to think
over the promise he had just given.  He would--yes,
he would keep his word.





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.. _`CAPTURED`:

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   CHAPTER II.


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   CAPTURED.

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How long he lay there, Harry never could
recollect afterwards, but feeling a
chilliness creeping over him he suddenly
remembered his duty.  He must make
haste, for the sun was setting, and if White Star
did not seem to be better she must be led home
from the damp marsh meadows that bordered the
water.  Though Harry was feeling intensely sad,
he had a secret feeling of satisfaction at having
conquered in a very hard struggle, and this perhaps
made him look more at the things he was passing
than, as he was wont to do, at the distant sea.  This
evening everything was calm and quiet, both on
the darkening waters and on the green meadows.
Harry noted a gate that needed repairing, and
made up his mind to tell his father that it must be
seen to, or the cattle would be straying; then he
glanced at the little cart-horse foal that promised
to be a rival of its mother.  The Pitsea Farm
cart-horses were deservedly famous, and Harry's father,
George Fenn, was as good a breeder of horses as
he was a staunch Churchman and opposed to the
Puritan element only now quieting down.

At last Harry reached the meadow where White
Star was grazing and where some thirty sheep were
sharing the pasture.  He went up to examine the
gentle creature, and she knew well enough the
young master's voice and touch, so that she hardly
stopped chewing the cud to give him a kindly stare.

'White Star seems not so bad,' thought Harry.
'I'll tell father to give her another day in the
meadow, she is not too ill to enjoy this sweet grass.'

Harry had been so much engaged in attending
to White Star that he did not hear the soft splash of
some oars at the bottom of the meadow he was in,
nor did he see that four strong, rough-looking men in
seafaring attire had quietly moored their long-boat
to an old willow stump, and that two of them were
hastily scanning the sheep and cattle that were
only a few yards away.

'Zounds!' muttered the first who stepped up
the bank, 'what have we here? a lad in this very
field.  I'faith, I saw no one from the creek.'

'A mere sapling,' laughed the other, 'take no
heed of him, and he will soon take to his heels at the
sight of us.  Now, quick's the word, the captain is
impatient to be off with the tide.'

In another instant the men had begun their
work.  They had come for the purpose of carrying
off some sheep and cattle, and having waited till
this late hour they had not expected to find a
witness to their robbery.  Quietly and stealthily as
they had landed, however, their intentions could
not be carried out without some disturbance, and
Harry was first made aware of their presence by the
sudden helter-skelter of the sheep and the immediate
curiosity expressed by poor White Star, whose
evening meal was to be so violently disturbed.

In a moment more Harry had seized the
situation, which indeed it was not difficult to do, as
he now beheld one of his father's sheep suddenly
captured by the clever expedient of an
extemporised lasso, and when the poor animal had been
dragged towards its captor the robber made short
work of tying his victim's legs together, and leaving it
to bleat beside him whilst he proceeded to capture
another in the same manner, before dragging them
to the long-boat.

All the fierce courage of the hardy yeoman's son
rose to its height as he beheld this daring robbery
carried on under his very eyes.  Nay, when the
strongest and foremost man began unconcernedly
to make his way towards White Star herself, the
boy's indignation knew no bounds.

'How now?' he cried indignantly.  'What do
you mean, you rascals, by coming here? this is
our field and our cattle; away at once, and unloose
the sheep, or, by'r laykin! it will be worse for you.
I will call for help, and you will soon be treated in
such a manner as you deserve.'

This fierce speech had not, however, the desired
effect.  The man laughed ironically as if Harry
were a mere baby, and approaching White Star he
swiftly threw the lasso over the animal's sleek head.

'Out of the way, young blusterer, or it will be
the worse for thee.  Our master, the captain,
requires these cattle to victual our ship before sailing;
come, off with thee! and don't halloo all the breath
out of thy body.'

But Harry's blood was up.  Enraged at the
man's daring and effrontery, he seized a stout
stick from the hedge-row and sprang upon the
intruder with the fury of a young lion.  He never
considered the inequality of the struggle or the
folly of his engaging single-handed with a ruffian
of this description; he only thought of saving his
father's property and avenging the insult.  Nor
were his well-directed blows mere make-believe,
and as the man before him was suddenly aware of
a sharp stinging pain across his forehead, he let go
the lasso and sprang on to the boy with a fierce
oath.

.. _`'HARRY'S BLOOD WAS UP'`:

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   "*HARRY'S BLOOD WAS UP*"


'What, you young viper, you dare to strike
me?  Well, take that.  Here, Jim, this way, bring
the rope here; I'll teach this churl to bethump me.'

As he spoke he wrenched away poor Harry's
stick, and with a well-directed blow he laid the boy
on the ground.  Harry felt a terrible pain in his
head, his brain seemed to reel; bright, blood-red
flashes blotted out the familiar fields, and then
with a groan of pain he stretched out his right
arm to grasp at some support, after which he
remembered no more.

The man appealed to as Jim had now run up,
and laughed as he saw Harry fall insensible on
the dewy grass.

'Bravo! the lad fell in fair fight, Joseph; but
i'fecks! who would have thought of seeing you
engaged in a hand-to-hand struggle with such a
stripling?  Hast done for him, comrade?' he
added with curiosity, in which was mingled
neither pity nor fear.  And yet the sight of Harry
Fenn might have softened even a hard heart, one
would have thought, as he lay there in the twilight
on the dewy grass, whilst a slow trickling line of
red blood fell from his forehead over his fair
curling hair.

'Here, make haste,' said the first man, whom
his friend addressed as Coxon, 'the captain's
orders were that we must lose no time; there'll
be several more trips this evening, and he means
to run down the Channel before morning.'

'Then we'd best not leave the lad here.  What
say you, Coxon, shall I despatch him for fear of
his waking up and telling tales before we return?'

Coxon looked down on the brave lad, and
decided, he knew not why, to act more mercifully.

'Let him be, or wait--tie his legs and throw
him in the long-boat; on our ship he'll tell no tales,
and when we cast anchor we can drop him somewhere,
or give him a seaman's burial if he's dead,
for, to tell the truth, it was a good whack that I
dealt him.  Now, Jim, quick, for fear some of those
land dolts come down upon us, and deafen us with
their complaints.'

After this quick certainly was the word.  Harry
was tied, much after the fashion of his own sheep,
and cast with little ceremony into the long-boat;
further booty was secured, till no more could be
carried during this trip, and then, as silently as it
had come, the boat was rowed swiftly down the
creek till they reached their destination, namely,
the good ship 'Scorpion,' a privateer bound for the
West Indies, after having lately made a very
successful bargain with the cargo it had safely
brought home.

How long Harry remained unconscious he
never knew: when he came to himself it was some
time before he could collect any sequence in his
thoughts.  He felt, however, that he was in a
cramped and confined place, and so put out his
hands to make more room, as it were, for his
limbs; but he could give no explanation to himself
of his whereabouts, though he half realised that
the night air was blowing in his face, and that
something like sea spray now and then seemed to
be dashed on his head.  His hands were free, but
what of his legs?  He experienced a sharp cutting
pain above his ankles, and with some difficulty he
reached down to the seat of pain with one of his
hands.  Yes, there was a rope tied round his legs;
who had done this, and where was he?  He
remembered standing on Hæsten's mound looking
longingly at the sea, and he also recalled
Mr. Aylett's words and his own fierce struggle against
his strong inclinations, and then--what had
followed?

Here for a long time his mind remained a
blank, till a decided lurch forced the conviction
upon him that he was certainly in a ship, not on
the green marsh meadow at home.

Home!  He must make haste and get home;
his father would wonder what kept him so long, it
was quite dark; how anxious his fond mother
would be.  He must at once get rid of that horrid
thing that prevented his rising, and he must run
as fast as he could back to Pitsea Farm.  But
what of White Star?  White Star, the meadow,
the--the----

All at once the scene of his conflict flashed into
his mind, and the awful truth burst upon him.
He was a prisoner in some enemy's ship--or could
it be in one of those dreadful privateers, whose
ravages were often spoken of, and whom Mr. Aylett
had said ought to be put down by Government
with a firm hand?  Ay, and those ruffians who
had treated him with such brutality, they must
be no other than some of those dreaded
buccaneers, whose atrocities in the West Indies made
the blood of peaceable people run cold, and
wonder why God's judgments did not descend on
all who abetted such crimes.  Harry, as we know,
was very brave, and yet he shuddered as the truth
forced itself on his mind; it was not so much from
a feeling of fear, but because, to the boy's weak,
fevered brain, the terrible calamity that had
overtaken him seemed to be, as it were, a punishment
for his old and secret longings, and his discontent
at the dull home life.

Then followed a period of great mental pain
for the boy, and after having vainly tried to free
himself, he lay back utterly spent with the exertion,
and with the feeling that perhaps he was reserved
for worse tortures.  Harry had heard many and
many a terrible story of the doings of these
buccaneers, who plundered, without distinction, the
ships of all nations, and amassed treasures in the
West Indies and the Spanish Main, and whose
inhuman conduct to their prisoners was not much
better than that experienced by the unfortunate
Christian prisoners from the pirates of Algiers.
Harry's courage was nearly giving way at these
thoughts, and as no one was by to see him a few
bitter tears rolled down his cheeks; but as he put
up his hand to brush them away he suddenly felt
ashamed of his weakness.

'God helping me,' thought he, 'whatever these
rascals call themselves they shall not see me in
tears, be the pretence never so great; it were a
pretty story to take back to my father and good
Mr. Aylett, that I was found weeping like a girl;
but all the same I wish they would give me something
to eat.  In truth I could devour very willingly
a sirloin of beef if it were offered me.'

Hunger is but a melancholy companion, and as
the time still passed on and no one came near him,
though Harry could hear the tramp of feet above
him distinctly enough, the boy began to fear he
should be left to die of slow starvation; and though
this idea was very fearful to a growing lad, yet he
determined that even this suffering should not make
him cry out, and, clenching his teeth together, he
lay down again and tried to say a few mental
prayers.  Evidently he must have dozed off, for
the next thing he remembered was the sound of a
rough voice telling him to get up; at the same
time the rope that tied his feet was hastily cut
and he felt himself led along a dark passage and
pushed up a hatchway, feeling too dazed and weak
to notice anything till he was thrust through the
door of a small cabin.

By this time Harry's spirit had returned; he
forgot his pain and his hunger, and, straightening
himself, tried to wrench his arm away from the
iron grasp of the sailor that led him.

'What right have you fellows to keep me
prisoner here?' cried Harry.  'But as we are upon
the high seas it's not likely I can escape, so you
need not pinion me down in this fashion.'

At this moment a tall, powerful, and very
handsome man entered the cabin, and, hearing
Harry's words, burst into a loud and cheerful laugh.

'What, Mings! is this the boy you spoke of?
By my faith, you have caged a little eaglet!  But we
can soon cut his claws and stop his pretty prating.
How now, boy: answer truly, and tell me thy name;
for we are no lovers of ill-manners and insolence.'

Harry Fenn had been struck dumb by the
appearance of the new comer, so that he had
ceased struggling with Mings, and now gazed at
the courtly-looking man, whose whole bearing
spoke of a certain rough refinement and assured
courage, such as Harry had believed attainable only
by a gentleman of birth and breeding.  Evidently
the man before him was the captain of the crew,
but he was no mere rough sailor such as Harry
had often seen at home; on the contrary, his dress
was both rich and elegant; he wore his hair in
flowing locks just below his neck; a cravat of
muslin edged with rich lace was round his throat,
and the ends of the bow hung over his thick
doublet, which was embroidered in a running
pattern.  His scarf, thrown over one shoulder and
tied at his waist, was heavy with gold embroidery
and fringe, and the sword that dangled at his side
was evidently of Spanish make, and richly chased.
As to his countenance, the more Harry gazed the
less he could believe this man had anything to do
with the buccaneers of the West Indies he had
heard so much about, for the Captain's expression
was open, and even pleasant.  His eyes were of a
pale blue, shaded by soft and reddish eyebrows;
his nose straight and well formed; and though his
mouth was somewhat full and coarse, yet there
was nothing bad-tempered about it; and the
curling moustache and small tuft of hair on his
chin reminded one of a jolly cavalier more than of a
dreaded sea-captain.  Yes, Harry fancied he might
be mistaken, and that this gentleman was in truth
a loyal captain of His Majesty's Navy, and that his
own capture was all some terrible mistake.  This
idea gave him courage, and, shaking himself free
from his jailor, he advanced boldly towards the
handsome-looking man, who surely must be the
soul of honour, and no enemy to the public.

'Oh, sir, I fancied I had fallen into the hands
of evil men; but surely I am mistaken, and you will
see justice done me.  I am a yeoman's son.  My
name is Harry Fenn, and my father owns a farm
at South Benfleet.  I had but gone down to see after
one of our cows who had been sick, when suddenly
your men waylaid me when I defended our cattle,
and used me in a brutish manner.  Had they
wanted to buy cattle, my father could have directed
them to those willing to sell.  I did but my duty
in defending my father's property, and I doubt not
that they gave you quite a wrong tale of my
behaviour; but indeed, sir, it was not true, and though
I have been treated very roughly I beg you to see
justice done to me, and to have me landed on our
English coast; for my parents will be sadly put
about on account of my disappearance, and very
solicitous about my safety.'

Harry paused, expecting the handsome captain
to express his regret at what had happened.
Instead of this, his words were received with a loud
laugh by Mings; and apparently they also much
tickled the fancy of the Captain, for he joined in
the merriment, though he looked with kindly eyes
on the handsome youth, who, in spite of his being
a good deal bespattered with mud and blood stains,
was yet a very pleasant picture of a bold, fearless
English boy.

'Thou art over-bold, young fellow,' said Mings
when he had laughed heartily.  'Doubtless our
captain will teach thee how to mind thy speech.
Shall I stow the lad away, sir, in the hold?  I take
it he will come forth in a humbler frame of mind,
and with less zeal for defending cattle.'

'Nay, Mings, leave him to me; such a home
bird is an uncommon sight, and having fallen on
deck for want of a stronger wing, he must needs
stay aboard.  Go and attend to the guns, and tell
the watch to keep a sharp look-out for any strange
sail, and I'll see to the boy.'

Mings appeared a little sulky at this order, and
took the opportunity of roughly grasping Harry's
shoulder as he went by, with the remark:

'Keep a civil tongue in thy head, young
scarecrow, or Captain Henry Morgan will soon teach
thee to wag it less glibly.  It would want but a
small gun to blow thee back to the English shore
if thou art so anxious to get back--eh, Captain?'

The Captain frowned instead of answering,
and Mings made off as quickly as possible; but
by this time Harry had recovered from his surprise.

'Then it's true,' he said quickly; 'you are in truth
the infamous Henry Morgan the buccaneer, whose
name is a terror to all honest folk.  I only hope
one of His Majesty's men-of-war will give chase,
and I will do all in my power to give information.
It is a dastardly act that you have done, for you
have stolen our property and allowed your men
shamefully to ill-use me.'

Harry never stayed to think how unwise his
words were: he was so angry at having made a
mistake and having fancied this courtly man was
an honest gentleman, that he cared nothing at the
moment about the consequences of his violent
language; indeed, he was all the more furious when
he noticed that Captain Morgan seemed only
amused by his burst of indignation.

'Thou art a brave lad, and I like to see thy spirit.
Tell me thy name.  I wager it is an honest one.'

'Ay, truly.  Harry Fenn is my name--an
honest English yeoman's son, and one that will
receive no favours from a buccaneer,' answered Harry,
crossing his arms.

'Then thou art my namesake, lad, i' fecks!  See,
I'll forgive thy hasty words, and take thee for my
godson.  As for thy parents, well, they must take
the chances of war as others do, for there can be
no putting back to land now.  We had to be very
crafty to avoid a large three-decker of sixty-four
guns that, I fancy, had scent of my poor frigate; but
we ran up the French flag, and so got off; and now
we are making a very fair journey towards Jamaica.
Art hungry, lad?  There's no use lying about thy
stomach, for it's a hard taskmaster, and, now I come
to think of it, no one has heeded thee or thy wants
since the cutter put thee aboard.'

Hunger was indeed a very hard taskmaster
for at this moment Harry Fenn felt a dizziness
which he could hardly control, and he half fell on
a bench which was beside him, and against which
he had been leaning.  Captain Morgan continued:

'Come, Harry Fenn, you're a brave lad, and
we'll strike a bargain.  I've taken a fancy to you,
my boy, and I'll try and protect you from the
sailors.  We are rough people at times, but not so
bad as we're painted; so if you'll work like the rest,
I'll warrant you good provender and as merry a life
as we sea-folk know how to lead.'

'I will not work for such as you,' said Harry
boldly; 'my father brought me up in honest ways.
I would rather die than join hands with such men
as your crew.'

'By my troth, boy, you are ignorant of our
good deeds, I well see,' said Captain Morgan.
'Many of those in power are glad enough of our
inroads on the Spanish Settlements, for those
rogues get only their deserts if we make them
discharge a little of their gold.  Hast never heard
of our worthy predecessors?  The authorities were
less squeamish in those days, and called the deeds
of bold men by fine names, whereas now, in truth,
it is convenient to dub us buccaneers.  There was
Sir Thomas Seymour, and before him there were
fine doings by Clarke's squadron.  By St. George,
he was a lucky man! and after six weeks' cruise he
brought back a prize of 50,000*l.* taken from the
Spaniards.  And how about Drake, Hawkins, and
Cavendish?  There were no ugly names hurled at
them, and yet methinks they and we go much
on the same lines.  In truth we have done good
service also against those rascally Dutch, and for
that alone we deserve better treatment than we get.'

Captain Morgan now noticed that Harry had
become deadly pale, and, hastily rising, the
buccaneer opened a locker and took from it a black
bottle, the contents of which he poured into a glass.

'Here, lad, thou art faint; this will revive thy
courage.  But first swear that thou wilt be one of us.'

Harry had eagerly stretched forth his hand to
take the glass, but at these words he drew back.

'Nay, but I will not swear; if God wills, I can
die, but I will not sully my father's name.'

Captain Morgan frowned angrily, and, striding
up to Harry, took hold of his arm with his left
hand, and with his right seized the hilt of his sword
as he exclaimed--

'Swear, boy, or it will be worse for thee.'  Harry
Fenn made one last great effort and staggered
to his feet; then with his right hand he struck
the glass with as much strength as he possessed,
and saw the red wine spurt out upon the floor
and upon the Captain's doublet.

'God helping me, I will not swear,' he cried;
but the words were barely audible, as he fell fainting
on the floor.

'As brave a lad as I ever cast eyes on!' said
the Captain, losing his stern expression, and,
stooping down, he poured a few drops of the wine
into Harry's mouth; then, calling for the cook, he
bade him tend the boy till he should have regained
his strength.

'Harry Fenn shall be under my protection,'
said the Captain to himself, 'but in time he must
be one of us.'





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.. _`A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND`:

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   CHAPTER III.


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   A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND.

.. vspace:: 2

It is the beginning of December 1670 in
the beautiful little Island of St. Catherine,
one of the West Indian Islands,
which were at this time the rich treasure-house
of most of the European nations, where
Spaniards, French, English, and Dutch all hoped
to make their fortunes in some way or other, and
where, alas! the idle and good-for-nothing men of
the Old World attempted by unlawful means to win
fame and fortune, which, when achieved, as often as
not brought them neither happiness nor profit.

Though it is December, in St. Catherine there
is nothing cold or disagreeable in the weather, and
all around the beauty of the scene delights the
eye.  The mountains, though of no great height,
are wooded with the loveliest tropical vegetation;
the well-watered valleys are little Gardens of Eden;
whilst in some portions, not yet cleared by either
natives, Spaniards, or Englishmen, the original
forests rise up like giants of nature whom no hand
of man has laid low.  In these forests are endless
varieties of birds--parrots, pigeons, and
hummingbirds of every colour.  Here, too, can be found
land-crabs which much resemble sea-crabs in shape
and manner of walking; but instead of finding a
home under rocks and boulders, these crabs burrow
in the forests, and once a year form themselves
into a regiment and march down to the sea-coast
for the purpose of depositing their young in the
waters.  This regiment has only one line of march;
it never diverges from it, but whatever comes in its
way is climbed over--straight over it go the crabs;
and such a noise they make that you can hear
the clattering of their claws for a considerable
distance.

We must not now stop to describe this West
Indian island, which is full of beauty and curious
plants and trees; but if you come to the wood
that leads to the great Spanish fortress of Santa
Teresa, you will find a steep path through the
luxurious forest, leading over a drawbridge to
the castle.  What a view can be seen from thence
over the port!  But it was not the view that
the Governor's children were thinking of as they
walked together in the garden which sloped down
towards the sea, and which was especially reserved
for the Governor and his family.

Felipa del Campo was a tall dark girl of about
fourteen years of age, but she looked older, and there
was a sad expression on her face as she gazed
up to her brother, a noble-looking fellow a year
older, with the long, grave-looking countenance of
the Spanish nobility.  He was dressed, after the
fashion of that time, in embroidered doublet, short
velvet tunic, and trunk hose; whilst his
well-shaped limbs were displayed to perfection in silk
stockings.  His shoes had buckles set with
diamonds, and his tall Spanish hat was plumed.

Felipa, on her side, had a long silver-embroidered
skirt, beneath which her dainty feet
hardly appeared; a small stomacher sewn with seed
pearls set off her lithe figure, whilst her pretty, dark
hair strayed from beneath a rich black lace kerchief.

'Where is my father, Carlo?' asked Felipa.
'Old Catalina says he has been down to-day to give
orders about the repair of the bridge between the
two islands.  Do you think he is expecting any
danger?  Surely the forts are well protected; but
what can make him so busy?'

'I don't know what to think,' said Carlo sadly,
'our father is so strange of late.  I have been
trying to speak to you about it, Felipa, for several
days, but sometimes I fancy he seems to watch me
as if he suspected me; though of what I cannot
imagine.  And then--have you noticed?--he cannot
make up his mind to anything; he orders something
one day, and the next he has altered his mind.
He promised me the command of the little fort
of Santa Cruz when I should be fifteen; but this
morning when I reminded him of this he spoke
quite roughly, and told me I was fit for nothing
but playing with girls.'

Carlo's colour heightened at the very idea of
this rebuke; for if there was one virtue the boy
admired more than any other it was courage.
These two children had been early left motherless;
but old Catalina, a faithful servant, had done all
she could to make their lives happy since she had
brought them here from Spain, after the Marquis
Don Estevan del Campo had been made Governor
of St. Catherine.

'Catalina says that our father is not the same
man he was when our mother first married him,' said
Felipa thoughtfully.  'The many worries he has
have made the change.  But never mind, Carlo, this
mood will pass by, and we shall be happy again.
When our brave uncle, Don Alvarez, comes with
dear Aunt Elena, then they will advise our father,
and he always takes Uncle Alvarez's opinion.  He
always does, because uncle speaks so decidedly.'

The two children spoke in Spanish, but,
strangely enough, they often put in English words
and whole English phrases; and the reason of this
was soon apparent, for at this moment a pretty, fair
girl was seen running towards them with nimble
feet down the slope, and, picking her way among
the gorgeous flower-beds, she cried out in pure
English, though with a slightly foreign accent:

'Dear Felipa, what do you think!  There is a
trading-vessel in the port, and the merchant has
just come to offer us some beautiful cloth, and
silver buckles!  Catalina dares not send him away
till you have seen him.'

Carlo smiled as he looked at the English girl's
beautiful fair hair, rosy cheeks, and active limbs.
To him she appeared like some angel, for he was
accustomed to seeing only dark people, and the
Spanish women in the island were anything but
beautiful.  Felipa shook her head as she answered:

'Tell Catalina to say I want nothing.'  The
Governor's daughter spoke with just that tone of
command which showed she was accustomed to be
first, even though her gentle manner and sad face
plainly indicated that her real nature was rather
yielding than imperious.

'I can see Etta admired the silver buckles,' said
Carlo kindly.  'Come, Mistress Englishwoman, I
will buy you a pair; for, with the dislike to long
petticoats that comes from your English blood, the
pretty buckles are more necessary for you than for
Felipa.'

'Oh, dear Carlo, will you really!' said Etta, her
face beaming with pleasure.  'How good you are to
me!'  All at once, however, the smile died away, and,
sitting down on a seat near Felipa, the English girl
added, with tears in her blue eyes:

'But no, Carlo, I will not accept your buckles:
a prisoner has no right to wear pretty things.'

'A prisoner!  Oh, Etta!' said Felipa, throwing
her arms round Etta's neck, 'why do you say that?
Do we not love you dearly?  Am I not a sister to
you? and Carlo a dear brother?  Do I not share
all my things with you?  And when Catalina is cross
to you I make her sorry.'

'And my father has almost forgotten you are not
one of his own,' added Carlo, standing behind Etta and
taking one of the fair curls in his hand; for he dearly
loved this English sister, as he called Etta Allison.

'Yes, yes, it is all true, and Santa Teresa is a
lovely home; but I cannot forget I am English, and
that I am really a prisoner.  I once asked Don
Estevan to send me back to England by one of
the big ships, and he refused; and yet my mother's
last words were that I was not to forget my own
land.'

At the thought of her mother Etta's tears came
fast; but at this moment the Governor of
St. Catherine himself appeared in the garden, and Etta,
being afraid to be seen crying, dried her tears and
stooped down to play with Felipa's little dog, so
as not to show her red eyes.  When she looked up
again the sunshine had returned to her
bonnie-looking face.

The Marquis Don Estevan del Campo was a
small thin-looking man, who had long suffered
from a liver complaint, and in consequence his
whole nature seemed to be changed.  From a
determined, clever administrator he had become
peevish, undecided, and ill-tempered; and the men
under him hardly knew how to obey his orders,
which were often very contradictory.

To-day he walked towards Carlo, with a troubled
expression on his face, and on the way he took
occasion to find fault with a slave who was watering
the flower-beds.  The slave trembled, as he was
bidden in a very imperious fashion to be quicker
about his work.

Carlo came to meet his father, doffing his
hat in the courtly fashion of a young Spanish noble.

'What are you doing here, children?' the
Marquis said.  'Is not this your hour of study?'

'You have forgotten, my father, that it is a
holiday to-day; and I was coming to ask if Felipa
and Etta might not come down to the bay with me
and have a row in my canoe.'

The Marquis looked up quickly.

'No, no: there must be no rowing to-day; I
have set workmen to repair the bridge, and you
had best keep at home.'

'Then we will go to the Orange Grove,' said
Felipa, coming up and putting her hand on her
father's arm, 'and Etta and I will pick some of the
sweetest fruit for your dessert this evening.'

'As you like, Felipa; but do not go far, and
take Catalina and some of the slaves with you, for
I hear several of the wild dogs have been seen in
this neighbourhood.  Anyhow, you will not have
very long before sunset.'

'I will let the girls go alone, then,' said Carlo,
'and come with you, father.'  And so saying the
Marquis and his son walked away, whilst the girls
with an escort of slaves entered the forest and
went down the mountain side.  This forest was
not, however, such a one as could be found in
England.  Here the pleasant breeze played among
the leaves of a huge fan palm with leaf-stalks
ten feet long and fans twelve feet broad; next to
it might be found a groo-groo or coco palm,
and bananas and plantains; and below these
giant trees of the tropics were lovely shrubs,
covered with flowers of every hue and shape,
round which flitted great orange butterflies larger
than any we can see in our colder climate; and
Etta with her English blood and active nature was
never tired of chasing them, though now and then
a little afraid of meeting with snakes.

A great deal of this forest had not been cleared;
but close by the path the Governor had had much
of the undergrowth cut away, and lower down he
had planted a grove of orange-trees, whose green
fruit Etta and Felipa loved to pick; and round
about was a lovely wild garden where grew sensitive
plants and scarlet-flowered balisiers and climbing
ferns, over which twined convolvuli of every
colour, whilst the bees buzzed about these
honeycups, never caring to fly up to the great
cotton-trees so far above them, because they found
enough beauty and sweetness in the flowers below.

Felipa and Etta did not know the names of
even half the beautiful flowers they gathered that
evening; but they invented fancy names for many
of them, and arranged with good taste a bunch of
roses they picked from a bush twenty feet high,
glad that a few were within their reach, and
longing for Carlo, so that he might pull down some
more for them.

Of course there were drawbacks even in this
lovely place, for there were the wasps and the
spiders to avoid, and centipedes and ants, too;
though Etta was never tired of watching the
'parasol ants' who walk in procession, each
carrying a bit of green leaf over its head, on which
were to be found now and then baby ants, having
a ride home in their elegant carriage.

Ah, it was a beautiful and wonderful home
these young Spaniards had on this Santa Teresa
hill; but at that time even the children in West
Indian homes knew there were dangers that might
come upon them, and St. Catherine had already
been the scene of disasters which Etta could just
remember, but which Felipa had seen nothing of
as yet, having only been brought from Spain when
the Marquis was firmly established as Governor of
the island.

After the girls had gathered as big nosegays
as they could carry they began to ascend the hill
again, for darkness would soon come upon them,
there being no twilight in this lovely region, and
even with their escort of slaves they were not
allowed to be out after sunset.

'Dear Etta,' said Felipa, putting her arm round
her friend's neck, 'promise me you will never again
call yourself a prisoner.  You would not care to
leave me and beautiful Santa Teresa to go back to
that dreadfully cold, foggy England?  Surely you
have not found us such cruel Spaniards as your
people talk of; and Carlo loves you better than he
loves me, I think.'

Etta smiled and kissed her friend, but she
answered:

'I love you and Carlo very, very much, Felipa;
but my dear mother told me before she died that
I was never to part with the letters she gave me,
and that some day I must go home and find my
relations; for in my country I come from an
honourable family, but here I am only an English
prisoner.'

Felipa was going to argue the question again,
when Carlo came running down to meet them.

'Make haste, Felipa and Etta: my father has
suddenly made up his mind to go to the other
island this evening; he means to sleep at the Fort
St. Jerome, and he says we may accompany him.'  The
girls, always ready for a little journey, as they
seldom left Santa Teresa, clapped their hands in
joy and ran up the narrow path to the entrance of
the castle, in high glee at the unexpected pleasure.





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.. _`THE PIRATES ARE COMING`:

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   CHAPTER IV.


.. class:: center medium

   THE PIRATES ARE COMING.

.. vspace:: 2

St. Catherine is composed of two
islands, but so small was the space
between them that the Marquis had had
a secure bridge built across the tiny
strait, and the two islands were always reckoned
as one.  The children were quite ignorant of the
reason of their sudden trip to the greater island,
and indeed they only thought of enjoying the fun
of going to a new residence; for close to
St. Jerome was the Governor's house, near a battery
called the Platform, and in sight of the Bay of
Aquada Grande.  A river ran from the Platform
to the sea, and the Marquis had wished to assure
himself of the forts being in good order, as the
captain of a friendly ship touching lately at
St. Catherine had sent a message to him that there were
rumours of some attempt on Panama being set on
foot by the pirates, and that the Governor of Panama
begged Don Estevan del Campo to keep a sharp
look-out at St. Catherine, for that island had once
been in the hands of the English pirates, and it was
known that since the great buccaneer Mansfelt had
died and the island had been re-taken by the
Spaniards great hopes were entertained by several bands
of English pirates that this little island might once
more belong to them.  It was for this reason that
the Spaniards had constructed many forts on the
island, especially on the lesser St. Catherine, which
was not quite so well provided with natural
defences as was the larger island.

It was the receipt of this news that had so
greatly disturbed the much-worn-out Marquis, and
his nerves were indeed hardly equal to the difficult
duties entrusted to him.  Pirates had increased
terribly of late years.  Jamaica, though it had a
Governor supposed to be engaged in suppressing
them, was yet quite a nest of these bold outlaws,
who, taking advantage of the English jealousy of
Spain, cared not what outrage they committed on
Spanish towns and Spanish islands; though, in
truth, other nations fared but little better at their
hands.

The Marquis had examined the fortresses in
the lesser island, and was much troubled at the
few men that were at his disposal for manning
them, and for the defence of the island generally;
and now, having come to St. Jerome, he determined
to send a boat down the river this very evening in
order to ask for help and advice from the Governor
of Costa Rica, Don John Perez de Guzman, who
had five years before so ably retaken the island.
But all this amount of thought and anxiety had
quite unnerved the poor Marquis, who scolded
every one about him, found fault with the garrison,
and severely punished some negro slaves for their
idleness in the plantations of the Platform; but, as
the negroes were always idle, they considered their
punishment very unfair.

The next evening Carlo went into the pretty
sitting-room of the girls, which looked upon the
river and out towards the beautiful bay; but when
Felipa, who was very musical, and could sing in
French, Spanish, and English, took up her lute,
begging him to join in, he shook his head and
surprised her by his answer.

'Felipa, don't ask me to sing; I am sure something
is the matter with our father.  He has got into
a passion with Espada, and has put him in irons.
It is very unwise, for Espada is a revengeful man,
and he has great influence with the other men in
the fort, some of whom were once outlaws from
Puerto Velo.  I wish I were a man and that my
father would consult me.  His Catholic Majesty
ought to give my father a pension and let us all go
back to Spain, for I am sure this place does not
agree with him.'

Etta listened sadly to Carlo's words; when he
was troubled about his father she was very sorry,
for the boy was one whom nobody could help
loving and admiring.

'Dear Carlo, if the King of Spain knew you
he would, I am sure, make you Governor of beautiful
St. Catherine, and then the poor negroes would not
be oppressed, nor the gentle Indians hunted with
dogs as you say they are sometimes.  My father
used to tell me of the dreadful cruelties used
towards those poor people in past days.  In
England such things would not be allowed.'  And, so
saying, Etta raised her head proudly, feeling that
an Englishman was better than a Spaniard.

Felipa passed her hands over the lute, saying, as
the sweet tones were wafted through the room:

'Do not talk of such things, Etta.  I am sure
our Indians are not unhappy.  Andreas loves us
clearly; and we make the negroes, not the Indians,
work on the marshes.  Now I shall sing to drive
away your ugly fancies.'

And she sang softly an evening hymn in
Spanish, and Carlo and Etta joined in too, so that
the sound of the young voices floated over the clear
waters of the river, whilst the scent of sweet spice
plants was wafted in.  Surely Felipa was right: it
was not suitable to talk of human miseries when
all around nature was so exquisite.  Old Catalina
soon came in with the evening supper, saying the
Marquis had gone out and would sup alone; and
very early the girls retired to bed; Carlo told them
not to dream of troubles, because he should be
next door to them in case they were frightened.
He felt that his sister was under his charge now
that their father the Marquis was so little able to
see after her.

Old Catalina counted her beads and muttered
her prayers long after the two girls were sleeping
soundly; and as she stooped over Etta's bed and
noticed how fair the girl was, she murmured: 'It is
a pity this pretty child is a Protestant; but I hope
when she is older she will be one with us; for
otherwise the Marquis will thrust her out and not
let her come home with us to Spain, and my
darling Felipa will break her heart, for she loves
her English playfellow dearly.'

But the night was not to pass as quietly and
peacefully as it had begun.  Catalina lay on a
mattress in her young mistress's room; but, being a
heavy sleeper, she did not hear a hasty knock at
the door, and the repeated call of 'Catalina!
Felipa! quick! open the door!  Why do you all sleep so
soundly!'

Etta was the first to awake, and, throwing a
coloured shawl about her, she ran to the door and
opened it.

'What is up, Carlo?' she said rather sleepily.

'Wake Catalina and Felipa, and make haste
and dress yourselves.  My father says we must fly
from here at once: the pirates are outside the bay.
They will land early to-morrow, perhaps opposite
this very fort.  I beseech you, make all haste you
can.'  In a few minutes the frightened girl had
shaken Catalina, and was trying to explain to Felipa
what the danger was which threatened them.

'Oh, Felipa, the pirates are coming!  Quick! quick! make
haste and dress, for the Marquis says
we must go back to Santa Teresa at once.'

Catalina began wringing her hands as poor
Felipa turned deadly pale.

'We shall all be killed!  May the saints protect
us!  Ah, my poor lamb! who could have believed
those wicked wretches would have dared to show
themselves here again, and in your father's lifetime.
Alas! alas! make haste, sweetheart, and let us fly!'

Felipa was so frightened that she could hardly
dress herself; and poor Etta, who knew more about
the dreaded sea-robbers than did Felipa, tried to be
brave in order not to increase the Spanish girl's
terror.  Etta was brave, and in many ways fearless
in all ordinary affairs; but the cry 'The pirates
are coming!' was one of the most dreaded in the
West Indies--a cry which had often taken the spirit
out of the heart of a bold sea-captain, who knew
the desperate courage and reckless indifference to
life exhibited by the men who infested these seas.

When Catalina and the girls were dressed they
stepped forth, to find the Marquis and Carlo
waiting for them.  The former was walking up and
down the hall of the house discussing the terrible
news with some Spanish officers.

'Your Excellency knows that this fort cannot
long resist a fierce assault,' said one of them.  'Were
it not better to evacuate the Platform and concentrate
our forces on the lesser island batteries?  The
fortresses there are strongly built, and with our men
we could put them in a better state of resistance.'

'They will not land to-night,' said the wretched
Marquis, looking the picture of an undecided man.
'If you think, Don Francisco, that flight would be
the best plan, give orders to your men.  Ah, here
are the children.  Are the horses ready?  We have
no time to waste; and yet what say you?  Perhaps
these wretches will think better of it, and leave
Port St. Catherine in peace.  Were it not better
after all to stay here?'

'Let us stay, father,' put in Carlo.  'If you will
let me fight, I am sure I shall be able to defend
this place.  Do not let this handful of rascals
believe we fear them.'

'Give your opinion, Carlo, when you are asked,
and not before.  Are the horses ready?  Now,
Felipa, wrap your scarf well round you; we have
a long way to go.  Yes, I think it is better to go
than to stay.'

'We shall be safe at Santa Teresa, father, are
you sure?' sobbed Felipa; whilst Etta, looking at
Carlo's fearless expression of face, determined to
say nothing, for he had once said girls were always
afraid.

It was a very anxious and silent cavalcade that
made its way back towards the small island that
night, and contrasted strangely with that which
had come hither but quite lately, laughing and
chatting to their hearts' content.

Carlo, however, managed to ride near Etta
occasionally when the ground was clearer so as to
allow their horses to walk abreast.  Felipa kept
close to her father, as if near him she would be
quite safe from the dreaded foes.  Every now and
then she looked back into the darkness towards
the little village at the foot of the Platform; where,
however, all was at present still and quiet.

'Is it really true?' whispered Etta to Carlo, as
if she could be heard from this distance; 'have they
been seen?'

'I think so.  José the one-eyed, who, they say,
was once a pirate himself, noticed the ships
creeping round towards the bay just before sundown, and
he came all the way from San Salvador to give the
news, hearing my father was here.  However, of
course they may think better of attacking us.
José believes he recognises one of Mansfelt's old
ships; but I think terror gives him double sight,
For all that, I wish my father would have stayed
and driven off the rascals on their first landing.  It
looks as if we feared them, and that will make
them bolder.'

Not much more was said, and the cavalcade rode
through the dark forest, and then emerged on
the sea coast, for towards the north of the island
the cliffs became lower, and before reaching the
bridge there was a good stretch of open country.

'God be praised, and all his saints!' said
Catalina, 'I can see the crest of Santa Teresa.  We shall
now soon be in safety.  The rascals cannot climb
our mountain; and if they come we can hurl them
down into the sea.  I wouldn't mind helping to do
that with my own hands.'

The Marquis had already sent on a messenger
to collect several officers at the Castle of Santa
Teresa, which, with its thick walls, its great moat,
its impregnable cliff on the sea-side, and its difficult
ascent towards the land, was a secure retreat, where
the Governor could hold a council of war, and
decide what course to take as to repulsing the enemy
should he land on the shores of St. Catherine.

'I wish my father would take his own counsel,'
thought Carlo for the hundredth time, 'and then he
would at least know his own mind.  However, now
there is real danger, he cannot prevent my helping
to defend my sister and my home.'  And this feeling
made the proud, brave boy forget that fighting
does not always mean victory, and caused him not
to be altogether sorry that he should have a chance
of distinguishing himself, and perhaps--who
knew?--the King of Spain would hear of it.  Carlo had
read of the deeds of brave knights and of their
wonderful exploits, and was eager to begin also
his own career of fame; but reality is often, alas,
very unlike our dreams.

All nature was fully awake when the Governor
reached Santa Teresa; and the girls, once more
safely surrounded by habitual sights and sounds,
forgot their fears, and, after a little rest and
refreshment, began, as before, running happily about the
gardens within the enclosure.  The guards were,
however, at once doubled, and the negro slaves
posted in the wood.

'Here we shall not see the pirates land,' said
Felipa, now almost disappointed, 'nor the punishment
our people will give them.  I am sure Carlo
would have been able to defeat them with the help
of a few men.  Don't you think so, Etta?'

'I do not know; but, Felipa, let us say our
prayers, and then we shall be sure they will not
hurt us.  Do you know that, in the excitement of the
journey, I forgot mine this morning; and I promised
my mother never to leave them out.'

'So did I,' exclaimed Felipa, 'but I shall tell
Padre Augustine and he will forgive me.'  Etta
had no such comfort, for she had been early
imbued by her parents with a great disbelief in the
religion of the Spanish settlers; but from living
with Felipa, and being kindly treated by her
captors, she had begun to take Felipa's opinions as a
matter of course; though now and then the girls
had little differences as to the various merits of
their Churches.  Had Etta not been of a very
determined character, most likely she would have
forgotten her own faith; but early troubles had made
her old in ideas, and passionate love for her dead
parents kept all their wishes in her mind.  She
would sooner have died than have become a Roman
Catholic, and at present the Marquis had not taken
the trouble to inquire into the matter.  Had Felipa
not wanted a companion, Etta's fate might have
been a sad one; as it was, she enjoyed all the
privileges of the Governor's little daughter.  But often
the English girl would steal away to read over
some of her precious letters, or to kiss the few
relics she possessed of the gentle mother who had
died at St. Catherine.  In these days many sad
stories might have been told of the sufferings of
the wives of the merchants or Governors who had
to live away from their country, or who for some
reason crossed the seas to come to the West Indies.
The prisons of Algeria and the haunts of the
West Indian pirates could have revealed, and
did reveal, many a sad story of captivity and
ill-treatment.

But the day was not to pass without news of
the enemy; for in the afternoon Carlo, who had
been round the fort with his father, ran in to tell
the girls that a messenger had just arrived from the
other island.

'The saints protect us!  And what does he say?
Have they made dried meat of them already?'
said Catalina, referring to the meaning of the word
buccaneer.

'The enemy has landed below the Platform;
they are about a thousand strong, and their
leader is no other than the terrible Captain
Morgan the Englishman,' said Carlo, much excited.

'A thousand strong!' exclaimed Felipa.  'Then
we shall need all our men.  But they cannot reach
us here.  What does our father say?'

Carlo shrugged his shoulders.

'He will give no positive orders, but the rascals
are really marching through the woods towards us.
I wonder at their rashness, for here we are so well
prepared to receive them that they will find it too
warm for them.  We are to have a council of war
this evening.  Now, if I were Governor I would
starve them out.'

'Will father let you attend the council?' asked
Felipa, looking upon her brother as already a knight
of renown.

'Nay, but he must.  I can use a sword as well
as any one.  Etta, you shall tie my scarf, and I
will wear your colours on my scabbard.'

Etta shook her head sadly.

'The pirates are from my country.  Your father
will be angry with me, Carlo; and yet my father
was none of them.  He was a brave and honest
merchant.'

'No one shall blame thee, dear Etta,' said the
boy, 'or if they do, I will offer single combat.'  And
Carlo went through his military exercises with
great show and laughter, till Catalina and some
slaves arrived, and desired the young people to
come and help with the defence of the castle by
taking away all the valuables and hiding them in
the dungeons below or in a well under the flags of
the inner courtyard.

Carlo was very angry at this order of his
father's: it seemed to presuppose the taking of
Santa Teresa.

'As if the pirates would ever enter this stronghold!'
he said impatiently.  'If I may be allowed
to speak, I will offer to lead out a party from Santa
Teresa, and the robbers will see something worth
seeing then.  I must go and find my father and
persuade him.'

In spite of his objection, however, Carlo, as well
as every one else, had to work with a will within
the walls of Santa Teresa; whilst the Marquis,
hardly able to hide his fears, paced restlessly up
and down without the castle, often sending negro
scouts on all sides to ascertain the real truth; but
he got such contradictory answers that he half
feared the negroes were too much afraid to venture
near enough to the advancing enemy to ascertain
how matters stood.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`THE SCOUTS`:

.. class:: center large

   CHAPTER V.


.. class:: center medium

   THE SCOUTS.

.. vspace:: 2

The council of war presided over by the
Marquis took place late that afternoon;
and Carlo, bent on proving his capabilities
as a soldier, slipped in with the
officers and various Spaniards in authority who had
been able to leave their several stations to join in
the discussion.  The Marquis was so much
disturbed and troubled that he took no heed of his
son, for as the officers entered the private room of
the Governor the sound of cannon was distinctly
heard in the distance, much to the dismay of many
present.

'Those are the guns of St. Jerome,' said one of
the officers.  'The enemy must have reached the
bridge, and we may expect them here by sunset.
Shall we give the order for all the neighbouring
guns to fire, sir.'

'That will not be necessary,' answered the
Marquis, testily.  'How many guns are there at
St. Jerome?  Surely enough to drive these robbers
back to their boats?'

'We have eight, Señor, at St. Jerome, and
those will play freely on them; they will be caught
in a trap.'

'Well, then, that will settle them.  We know
they cannot advance up the river below this hill.'

'Only a canoe could reach us here, and that
would hold but a few men,' said Don Francisco.

'The blacks declare that Captain Morgan has
only four hundred men with him; if so, there will
be no great difficulty.'

'Nay, but the Indian Andreas,' said Carlo, 'has
just told me they are more like a thousand strong.
I believe Andreas is the only scout who gets near
enough to know.'

Carlo had an especial liking for Andreas, who
often accompanied him out into the woods to kill
the birds.  He was a very sharp fellow, and knew
every turn and winding in the islands.

'A thousand strong!  What nonsense, Carlo!
Your opinion was not asked, boy, and silence is
your best course,' said the Marquis, angrily.

Carlo blushed, but all the same he knew he
was right, and was terribly annoyed at hearing his
father ask counsel first of one and then of another,
without coming to any decision.  He saw several
of the officers looking evidently anxious, and when
the council of war broke up--having decided
nothing but that a scout should be sent to
St. Jerome for news, and that there should be another
meeting next morning--Carlo went up to an officer
and said hastily:

'Why do we not collect a force of men and go
out to meet them in the marshes?--for that is surely
the way they will advance.'

'The Marquis thinks otherwise, Señorito; and
he may be right, for they may find themselves in
a sad fix in some of the swamps in the low ground
or in the woods, and then they may think it better
to return without trying to take a fortress.
Besides, we do not know how much powder they may
have brought, and we must not waste our own
ammunition.'

This was all the consolation Carlo could get,
and he went back to his sister's room looking very
crestfallen and anxious.  So to her eager
questioning he answered:

'I wish father would let Don Francisco de
Paratta take the command; he himself is quite
unable to take it.  I could see by Don Francisco's
face that he thinks we are doing wrong.  We have
not even got true information yet as to their
number.  I have a great mind----'  Carlo paused,
for a sudden idea now entered his head.

'What are you thinking of?' said Felipa, turning
pale.  'Oh, Carlo, do not do anything rash.  What
should we do without you?'

'Oh, you are safe enough here at Santa Teresa;
it would be impossible to take this place by storm
with a thousand men, or even double that number,
so you need not be afraid, dear Felipa.'

'I know you mean to go and see for yourself,'
said Etta.  'I wish I were a boy and I could go
with you.  To stay still makes one imagine many
impossible things.'

'Hush! don't tell any one, especially Catalina,'
said Carlo, looking round and seeing they were
alone; 'she chatters so much.  My plan is this: I
will slip outside presently before the gate is shut
and run down the hill to the river.  There Andreas
has a canoe safely hidden in the bushes, and he
will paddle me down to the mangrove swamps,
and from there we may get near to them and see
for ourselves how the pirates are situated.'

'But you will get killed,' sobbed Felipa.  'These
wicked English pirates are worse than cannibals;
Catalina says that they roast their prisoners alive,
and----'

'Nonsense!  Dry your tears, little sister, and
believe me, Andreas is too clever a fellow to let us
get eaten.  I shall be back before very late, and I
know the only breach that can be climbed.'

Seeing her brother so cheerful, Felipa dried her
tears, and hung a little coin round his neck, which,
she said, would keep him from harm; and then she
and Etta determined to sit up till he should come
back, for when he was once gone they would not
mind telling Catalina.

In the meantime all was bustle within the fort.
The Spaniards had found out now that the Governor
had entirely lost his nerve, and this increased the
panic of the garrison.  The men on watch amused
themselves by telling thrilling and horrible stories
of the various tortures inflicted by the pirates on
their prisoners, and speculated as to the fate of the
garrison of St. Jerome, whose fire had ceased when
the sun went down.  However, every one knew that
Santa Teresa was safe enough, and that even if
some bold spirits climbed up the steep path on the
land side no great number could come on at the
same time and so carry the place by assault.

At nightfall, Carlo, unseen by any one, slipped
out of the fort; and, plunging into the wood, he was
soon joined by the Indian Andreas, who was a fine
fellow, a Christian, and, moreover, devotedly fond
of the young Spaniard, who had always treated
him with kindness.  Andreas spoke fluent Spanish,
from having been early taught by the Spanish
priests, who had brought him up after his father's
death.

'That's right, Andreas,' said Carlo, when he
saw him.  'Now make haste and show me your
path down to the river; the other one is watched
by the slaves, and they might set the dogs on us
by mistake.  I reckon we can reach the swamps
in two hours with your canoe, and you tell me that
you are sure the enemy is encamped near there.'

'Yes, Señorito, that is the truth; my little boy
brought me word.  And I believe they are in great
distress for want of food; but we shall see.  Look,
noble Carlo: I have brought my arrows; and woe
to any one that tries to touch us!'

After some very difficult walking in the mazes
of the forest, through which no one but an Indian
could have steered, the two at last reached the
river, which ran far below Santa Teresa; and though
this stream was only navigable for canoes, it was
often used by the Indians and Spaniards when in
haste to reach the sea, instead of taking the longer
journey by the land road.  Andreas had powers of
sight which appeared quite extraordinary to Carlo;
and when the two were seated in the frail canoe,
it was wonderful how the Indian paddled the boat,
swiftly and surely, avoiding the rocks as if it were
broad daylight, and never mistaking the many
bends.  Had Carlo been alone he would have
grounded the boat half a dozen times, and not
have reached his destination before daylight; but
as it was, in two hours the boat glided swiftly into
the midst of the mangrove swamp through which
the river here made its way.  All was quiet at first;
the canoe did not even disturb the herons and
pelicans which slept near by on the interlaced
roots of the mangroves.

'If the pirates could have got into this swamp,'
whispered Andreas, 'there would be no need of
our cannon; but they are too crafty for that.  They
have doubtless seized a good guide who would not
dare to betray them; otherwise they never could
have reached Guana's Creek, where, I hear, they
have encamped to-night.'

They drew up the canoe near to a great stump
standing out in the water, and, mooring it there,
Andreas stepped on to a dry piece of ground;
then, stooping down, he listened intently, till like a
stealthy animal he returned to Carlo.

'I am sure, Señorito, that I can hear the sound
of the enemy.  I must creep up through the grove
and get to the higher ground; then I will return
with news, if you will wait.  I dare not let you
come till I have seen how the land lies.  Lie down
in the canoe, and I will make haste.  But cover
yourself up, for the air is bad here, Señor; indeed
you must chew this root, and then you will feel no
harm.'  And so saying, Andreas drew a dark-looking
bit of root from his pocket, which was a secret
remedy against the swamp malaria, known only to
the Indians; then, walking quickly towards the
jungle, he disappeared into the darkness.

Carlo had to wait what seemed to him a long
time before Andreas came back; and what made
it worse for him was the rain, which began to fall
heavily.  At last, when he was beginning to think
his Indian friend had been caught by the pirates,
he was startled by hearing a little splash in the
water beside him, and in another moment Andreas
himself was in the canoe.

'The young Señor did not hear me,' said the
Indian, smiling at the start Carlo gave.  'It was to
show him how well Andreas can walk in silence
that I came so quietly.'

'Did you see them, good Andreas?  Tell me
quickly, shall I come now, or must we go back?'

'Yes, yes, Señor, I saw them.  They are many--a
thousand, I fancy, or about that number; but
they are in a bad position; they have no food, and
no fire to cook it with.  I went up quite close and
saw the Captain.'

'Captain Morgan!  Oh, Andreas, did he look
a wicked man?  Tell me what he looked like.'

'A tall, fair Englishman, Señor, but not
evil-looking; only some of his followers had the bad
countenances of wicked men.  I could see that
they were discontented; and I heard some
discussing if they should go back to their ships.
Look now, Señor Carlo: if you can persuade the
noble Governor to send a hundred well-armed
soldiers to-night against these same men, we shall
have no more trouble with them.  We could drive
them into the swamp, and then the swamp would
do the rest.  Why, they were badly off: some had
naked feet like the poor Indians, and some had
but ragged clothes, and very few had firearms.
They were angry with the Captain at being led into
the marsh, and they huddled together when the
rain began to fall, cursing their misfortunes.'

'It will go on raining all night, I fancy,' said
Carlo.  'I have been nicely sheltered here; but out
where they are camped there are but few trees.
How could you see all this, good Andreas, for it is
still dark?'

'Well enough, Señor, for the rascals had pulled
down some of the Indian huts that lie up above,
and had made a fire of them.  Captain Morgan
was trying to make himself comfortable; and I saw
a young lad about your size and your age, Señorito,
in the Captain's rude tent.  I thought he must
be his son; but he looked sad and dejected, and
not like one of the pirates.  Perhaps some young
prisoner they have taken.  He was busy making
up the fire, but I noticed that another fellow watched
him pretty closely whenever he strayed a little.
Yes, I am sure he was a prisoner.'

This did not interest Carlo so much as Andreas'
idea about the hundred men being sent out against
the pirates.

'Andreas, you are right.  Quick, let us make
haste home, and I will do my best to persuade my
father to send a body of soldiers here by daybreak.
If only he will believe us!  Are you tired?  Let
me row a little.'

But Andreas laughed.

'The Señorito would stick us in the mud at the
next bend,' he said, and, taking up his paddle, he
sent the frail boat into mid-stream, and as silently
as they had come they returned towards Santa
Teresa.  During the journey Carlo hardly spoke;
he was planning the morning's expedition in his
own mind; and already he had cleared the whole
island of the dreaded horde, and covered the name
of Estevan del Campo with glory and honour.

By the time the canoe shot into a tiny cove at
the foot of Santa Teresa, Carlo was glad enough to
jump up and follow his leader through the forest by
an Indian path; and with Andreas' help the wall was
scaled, and both entered the enclosure unperceived.

'It is to be hoped the pirates do not know this
path,' he said to Andreas; 'but, even if they did,
not more than a single file of men could get up
here.  Do the guides here know of it, Andreas?'

Andreas shook his head.

'Hush, young master, tell no one of it.  It is
known only to the Indians of my tribe, and there
are but few of us now.  Good-night, Señorito; I will
be ready in the morning if you want another guide.'

Carlo warmly shook the faithful Indian's hand
as he bade him good-bye.  Before the Spanish
occupation Andreas had been a chief's son; but
his father had long ago been killed by the white
men, and the tribe was broken up.  The boy
had been educated by the missionaries, but had
never altogether forgotten his childhood; and
but for his love of Carlo del Campo some said he
would ere this have run away from the Governor's
estate, where he was forced to tend the gardens
and to see his children brought up as something
not much better than mere slaves, whilst his gentle
wife was expected to help Catalina in household
duties, cook the food for the black slaves, and wait
on the young ladies.

Carlo was able to creep upstairs unheard by
any one; and, seeing a light in his sister's
sitting-room, he knocked softly.  Catalina opened the
door, and the girls, who had fallen asleep on a
couch, jumped up eagerly.

'Carlo, there you are!  Tell us the news!  How
glad I am you are safe home!'

'I dreamt you were drawn and quartered by
the pirates.  My poor lamb,' cried Catalina, 'how
we prayed for you, till we fell asleep and forgot to
finish the Litany of Danger!'

'Nonsense! there was no danger at all; the
pirates are in a bad way, and it is raining hard.
But tell me where my father is.  We have only to
send out men and we are saved.  Andreas knows
exactly where they are encamped.'

'The noble Marquis was in the guard-room
below when I came up,' said Catalina.  'No one
has gone to bed this night.'

Carlo hastened away cheerfully.  He was some
time absent; but when he returned his young face
was clouded over with deep disappointment.

'It is of no use; my father will not believe me.
He refuses to do anything till there can be another
council, and then it may be too late.  Why am I
not a man!'

'Never mind, dear Carlo,' whispered Etta softly;
'the council may believe you, and then----'

But Carlo shook his head, and, tired out, he
went to his own bed and fell asleep from sheer
fatigue.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`HATCHING A PLOT`:

.. class:: center large

   CHAPTER VI.


.. class:: center medium

   HATCHING A PLOT.

.. vspace:: 2

The next morning the rain stopped, and the
sun shone out brightly and powerfully
over the beautiful wood which clothed
the steep sides of Santa Teresa.  The
cocoa-nut trees and the various kinds of palms
softly waved their beautiful heads in the morning
breeze; the sulphur and black butterflies flew hither
and thither about the crimson, yellow, and green
pods of the cocoa, and on the orchids that hung from
the giant stems.  All this and much more beauty
was unheeded by the people in Santa Teresa, for
before the council of war could meet Andreas
came running into the courtyard, where Carlo had
just come down to hear what news he could, too
angry to seek out his father after his disappointment
of the previous night.

'Young master, where is the noble Marquis?
Has he sent no one?  No?  Ah, Señorito, now it
is too late, for a canoe is coming up the river, and
it is not a mile distant.  The pirates have sent a
messenger, and the young English boy I told you
of is with him.  They are flying a white flag; that
means, the pirate captain has sent them to parley.
They have recovered their courage this morning,
or they would not have come to treat.  It will be
too late to attack them now, and you see the rain
has stopped.'

Andreas wrung his hands in a manner peculiar
to the gentle Indian race to which he belonged;
whilst Carlo, much excited by the news, impatiently
drew him forward towards the Marquis's room.

'Come and tell my father, Andreas.  I cannot
persuade him you really saw the men.  He says
that you were mistaken last night, and that the
pirates are armed to the teeth.'

'The great Governor will not believe!  And
yet I could have even brought something away from
the vultures' tent,' added Andreas with a smile.

Alas! it was only too true.  Instead of being
surprised at the arrival of a pirate messenger, Don
Estevan del Campo seemed greatly relieved.  He
had up to this hour decided on nothing, and was
more excited and more unfit to issue commands than
he had been even the day before.  Carlo appealed
to Don Francisco; but this officer was powerless
without the sanction of the Governor, and the more
the latter was urged to fight the less he seemed
inclined to do so.

The Marquis listened to the news the Indian
brought, and then ordered some soldiers to go
down to the river and conduct the messengers into
the castle.  They were to be well guarded, and to
have their eyes bandaged for fear of discovering
any secrets, such as taking notes of the path up
the steep hill of Santa Terea.

Great was the excitement in the castle when it
was known that the pirates had been bold enough
to send an envoy.  Some suggested that these
heralds of robbers should not be received; others,
that they should be sent back with threats; others,
that hanging was too good for them; whilst Don
Francisco declared plainly that a garrison of His
Catholic Majesty of Spain had no business to
parley with English rascals; but Don Estevan,
going from one to the other, listened to all the
contradictory advice, merely saying at the end:

'No, no, good sirs, but we must hear what they
say.  Most likely this herald brings us an
unconditional surrender, in which case we shall have
trapped the rats without wasting our powder.'  But
Don Francisco answered:

'That is not very likely, noble Marquis; there
seems no doubt it is Henry Morgan who himself
leads the band, and he was never known to
surrender.  Andreas swears there are a great
number of them.  If so, they will surely attack us.'

The surmises were at length set at rest by the
entrance of the soldiers, who brought with them a
short, thick-set man, whose determined face spoke
of dauntless courage and daring.  With him was
a tall fair youth, with a noble but sad and
care-worn expression of face.

From the windows of their dwelling-room
Felipa and Etta had watched the entrance of the
new arrivals; and Carlo, who had rushed in to do
the same, could not help an exclamation of surprise
at the sight of the lad, who was about his own age
and size.  As for Etta, her admiration found vent
in words.

'Look, Felipa, that is an English boy!  How
handsome he is!  He does not look wicked, does he?
Perhaps he is Henry Morgan's son.  How I wish
these were not wicked pirates!  I would talk to
them of England, and perhaps they might know
my relations and would some day take me back.
But the man looks every inch of him like an evil
buccaneer.'

'Etta, what nonsense you are talking!' said
Carlo; 'the youth is most likely as wicked as the
rest.  Andreas saw him last night.  Yes, he must be
the Captain's son.  Now I shall go and hear their
propositions.  If I had had my way there would
have been no messengers alive by this hour to
suggest any terms.  One should give no quarter to
such foes.'

After Carlo had gone, the two girls, who were busy
over some beautiful Spanish embroidery, still sat by
the window hoping to see the pirates go back
blindfolded.  Such excitement had not before fallen
to the lot of Felipa; for during the five years she
had been in this beautiful and peaceful island home,
nothing more exciting had occurred than a few
expeditions to the other island, or a row on the
lagoon.  The Marquis, her father, had been much
blamed by his Spanish kindred for having sent for
his daughter from Spain; but his reasons had been,
besides his natural affection for her, a fear that
after her mother's death her uncles might marry
the young girl to one of their own friends and pass
it off as an order of the King.  Till now Del Campo
had certainly not regretted the step, for he wished
to keep Felipa with him till she should marry a
man of his own choosing.  In those days young
girls were promised in marriage to men whom they
had never seen, and very often their lovers were
old and unattractive, though they were of course
wealthy or had some other recommendation in
the eyes of the parents of the high-born Spanish
maidens.

Felipa quite believed Carlo when he assured
her and Etta that Santa Teresa was much too
strong and well-fortified to be taken by even such
a large number of pirates as had now landed; so
the fears of the maidens were, in consequence,
much diminished, and a good deal of curiosity
mingled with their sympathy at Carlo's disappointment.

'After all,' said Felipa, who was not naturally
brave, 'if Carlo had gone out to fight the pirates
he might have been killed, so it is just as well
our father waited for daylight, and to hear what
Captain Morgan had to say.  Don't you think so, Etta?'

'Brave soldiers never think whether they shall
be killed or not,' said Etta.  'I am sure the Captain's
son is brave; he walked in with his head thrown
back, and looked so handsome.'

'Oh, Etta, if any one is an Englishman you
think he must be perfect,' said Felipa, crossly.  'I
tell you these pirates are all wicked, and make war
on defenceless women and children.  That is
unworthy of any great nation.'  But Etta retorted:

'Nay, but the Spaniards are more cruel than
the English.'  They might have gone on disputing
over their nationalities had not Carlo reappeared,
carrying with him a document which he was trying
to decipher.

'Etta, here, quick.  This is crabbed English
writing, and the Marquis said that you were to
help me to read it,  and to write it out in fair
Spanish, so that the council may deliberate on it.
The boy who has accompanied the messenger
cannot speak many words of Spanish, and will do
nothing but shake his head.  If I had my wish I
would have both man and boy hung up on the
tallest prickly palm of the estate.'

Etta in the meanwhile was deciphering the
words, which had been written on the rind of the
fruit of the cabbage-palm, which rind looked very
much like a piece of parchment, and was indeed
often used instead of it in the West Indies.

The writing ran thus, though it took all the
three some time to make it out--

.. vspace:: 2

'To the Spanish Governor of the Island of
St. Catherine.

'Hereby I, the world-wide famous Captain
Henry Morgan, make known that if within a few
hours you deliver not yourself and all your men
into my hands, I do by my messenger swear unto
you and all those that are in your company that
I shall most certainly put you and them all to the
sword, without granting quarter to any.'

.. vspace:: 2

Carlo flushed red with indignation when at last
these words were made out and translated, then
hurried away to his father and the officers, to give
the writing into their hands.

'These words are an insult to our great country,
my father.  I hope you will give them a fitting
answer.  Such vile caitiffs deserve no pity.'

'We must have two hours to deliberate on this
paper, gentlemen,' said the Governor, uneasily; 'for
I hear there is great panic on the island, and that
the people are leaving their homes and flocking to
the fortresses.  If so, a worse enemy than the pirates
may trouble us, and that will be famine.  Go,
Carlo, and tell the messengers to return to him who
sent them, and say that my answer shall be taken to
Henry Morgan by my own trustworthy messengers,
but that they must be promised a safe-conduct.'

Carlo had nothing to do but to obey.  He found
the man and the boy in the courtyard surrounded
by a strong guard of Spaniards.  He proudly gave
his father's message, but, thinking of Etta's words,
he could not help being struck with the noble
bearing of the fair-haired youth, who appeared to
be much disturbed by the rude looks and taunts
of the soldiers about him, for he scarcely lifted his
head till Carlo had done speaking, when he
suddenly looked up at him, as if he were going to
say something; but, evidently thinking better of it,
he remained silent.

'Marry, then, in two hours our Captain will
expect your answer,' said the pirate, 'and it were
best not to trifle with him, as he is sure to keep
his word.  'Tis no time to dally.'

'*Perros! nos veremos,*' exclaimed a soldier
after Carlo had turned away in silence--which
words mean in English, 'Dogs, we shall meet you,'
and were accompanied by some insulting dumb
show at the departing messengers.

After this the boy went back to the council-room;
but what was his surprise at finding it barred
and bolted, whilst a soldier, who was guarding it,
said respectfully that the Governor's orders were
that no one might enter.

'That does not include me,' said Carlo, angrily.

'Pardon, noble Señor Carlo; the Marquis said,
"Not even my son."'

.. vspace:: 2

.. _`CARLO REFUSED ADMISSION`:

.. class:: center large

   [Illustration: *CARLO REFUSED ADMISSION* (missing from book)]

.. vspace:: 2

Carlo turned away, too indignant to say
anything in answer; and then he went sorrowfully
upstairs to get some comfort where he knew he should
always find it.  He told the girls what had just
happened, adding:

'It is very unjust of my father.'  Then, as Felipa
blushed with sorrow, he added: 'No, I ought not to
say that, for I fancy he did not mean to exclude
me, only that stupid Luis wished to show his
importance and invented the order.'

'Tell me, dear Carlo,' put in Etta, eagerly,
'did you speak to the English boy?  I saw the
soldier escort him and his fellow down the hill; and
how I wished I could have had a few words with him!'

'What! with a pirate, Etta?  But would that I
could go into the council-room!  If my father
decides to despatch several hundred men, he must
give me the command of at least a little band.
You should see how well I could command.'

'Your noble father only meant, Señorito, that
you must not disturb the meeting,' said Catalina,
joining in; 'and I know there is a door at the other
end, which is made but of light bamboos, and you
can hear well enough there all that goes on.'  Catalina
spoke with so much certainty that it
seemed as if she had herself been eavesdropping.

Carlo was delighted with the idea.  'Is that
so, Catalina?  The saints reward you, you dear old
woman!  I will give you a silk kerchief worked
in gold thread the next time a merchant ship
comes here from Panama.  Ah, Etta, I am afraid
you will never see your fair English boy again, so
do not expect it, unless we take him prisoner; then
I will spare him for your sake.  That is a bargain.
Now, Catalina, come and show me your secret
way.'  And delighted that he should not be quite
excluded from hearing the plans of defence, the
eager Carlo followed Catalina, quite believing that
after all it was not his father but the stupid guard
Luis who had prevented him from joining in the
council of war.  He was, however, soon to be
undeceived.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`TREACHERY`:

.. class:: center large

   CHAPTER VII.


.. class:: center medium

   TREACHERY.

.. vspace:: 2

An hour later, when the Governor came
out of the council-chamber and was
entering his own private room, he
looked ten years older.  At this
moment Carlo rushed into the room and threw
himself at his father's feet.

Don Estevan looked much surprised, and the
papers he held in his hand shook visibly.

'Father, you cannot mean it!' cried the
Governor's only son, 'say it is not true!  There is
yet time: the messengers have not yet started.  I
beseech you think better of it.  I heard everything.'

'You heard everything?  What do you mean,
you insolent boy!' cried the Marquis, angrily;
'you were not in the council-chamber.  Get up,
Carlo; what is done is done for the best.'

'No, no, it cannot be for the best to betray
this island.  The stratagem you have suggested is
unworthy of you; it cannot be true that Don
Estevan del Campo will allow those villains to
take this fortress without so much as a blow!'

Poor Carlo was beside himself with grief; he
had indeed heard only too much from his
hiding-place.  The Governor had entirely lost his head,
and was unable to make up his mind to fight the
dreaded buccaneers; and now that he had found
out their real number, and the number of their
ships, he could think of nothing but temporising
with them.  He had forced the council to agree to
send two messengers to Henry Morgan with these
terms: They were to say that, feeling himself
quite unable to hold the island against such a
body of desperate men as Captain Morgan had
with him, the Marquis begged the Captain to use
a certain stratagem of war in order to make it
appear to the people that the place was taken in
honest fight.  Captain Morgan was, according to this
plan, to come at night to the bridge which divided
the two islands, and here he was to attack Fort
St. Jerome.  In the meanwhile the pirate ships were
to approach as near as possible to Santa Teresa
and attack it from the sea; also at the same time
to land a body of men at a place hard by, called
St. Matthew.  Here the Governor was to be
intercepted on his way to Fort Jerome, taken prisoner,
and forced to give up the keys of the castles of Santa
Teresa and St. Jerome, and the possession of
these two strong places would virtually mean that
of the whole island.  There was to be a feint,
much firing on both sides, but no bullets were to
be used; moreover, they were to fire in the air, to
make sure of no one being killed on either side.

This was the shameful plan of surrender that
Carlo had heard his father propose, and not only
propose but enforce on the majority of the men
composing the council; though Don Francisco de
Paratta and a few others had firmly refused to
give their consent to such a base affair.

The Marquis also knew that Carlo, young as he
was, was too bold and fearless ever to give in his
obedience to this idea, and for this reason he had
had him shut out from the deliberations.  He was
therefore all the more indignant and angry when
Carlo declared he had heard everything, and his
burst of indignation was terrible to witness.

'You forget your position and mine,' said the
unhappy Marquis in a passion.  'What can you
know, Carlo, of the defences of the island?  How can
I consent to a general massacre of my garrisons,
when by this simple means we shall avoid all loss?
And in a few days these wild robbers will leave
the island for other more profitable fields, and--but
why should I explain my reasons to you?  What
business had you to be eavesdropping?  Is that the
conduct to be expected from my son?'

Carlo did not seem to hear his father's personal
abuse; his mind was bent on averting the terrible
blot which, if this plan were carried out, must come
on his father's name.  However secret these
negotiations might now be kept, sooner or later they
would become known, and the name Carlo was so
proud to bear would be for ever dishonoured.

'Let me go and stop the canoe; or if it is
gone, Andreas can easily overtake the messengers.
Father, be angry with me, do anything; but do not
let us sell our honour!'

The Marquis was now in a worse passion than
ever with his son who dared to speak the truth to
him.

'Carlo, you shall not speak so! you forget
yourself.  Go from my presence at once, sir, and
consider yourself a prisoner on parole.  Do not leave
your sister's dwelling-room till I give you leave;
and remember, if you disobey I shall have to show
my son that he cannot break my rules with impunity.'

Carlo turned away, convinced now that his father
could only be obstinate and firm in the wrong place.
Covering his face with his hands, the brave boy
sobbed as if his heart would break.  He had dreamt
of honour and glorious deeds, and these dreams
had only ended in a story of shame.  Going to his
own room, he gazed down on the glorious tropical
gardens and woods of his beloved home, and caught
sight of the Governor's canoe starting off with two
men in her carrying the fatal message.  The clock
struck; the two hours allowed by the pirates were
sped, and the Island of St. Catherine was as good as
taken by Henry Morgan and his thousand men.

How long Carlo remained sunk in deep despondency,
with now and then interludes of sudden
impotent rage, he did not heed.  He knew that
the sham attack would not take place till night,
for evil deeds hate daylight, and there was a long
time yet before sundown.  But, alas! all the need
for exertion was gone, all the motive for brave
resistance was taken away.

'I will not be included in the treaty, however,'
he thought suddenly.  'I have spoken against it,
and I will use my bullets and my sword as a good
and honourable soldier should do.'  Then, suddenly,
the idea of danger for his sister and Etta entered
his head.  Tales of captivity endured by women
and children when they fell into the pirates' hands
crowded into his head.  How could he trust his father
now?  Certainly he must be losing his mind: this was
the only charitable way of looking at his conduct.
If this were the case, the welfare of Felipa was his
duty, and, slowly rising, he tried to wash away traces
of tears which might perhaps seem unmanly to
those who did not know the reason.

When he entered the room to which he had
been sent as a prisoner, the girls at once noticed
the expression of his face.

'Carlo, what is the matter?'

'Surely all will be well now,' added Etta.  'We
saw the canoe start with the answer.  Ah, those
robbers will understand we cannot be taken in brave
Santa Teresa, whatever they may do.'

'I should think not!' said Catalina.  'Those
infidels don't understand that the saints protect
us.  So you heard the deliberations, Señor Carlo?'

'Yes, well enough; but look, Catalina: suppose
these pirates should get the better of us--for they
are reported to be very strong--is there any place
where you and the girls might hide?  My father is
so busy giving orders that he has not time to attend
to all these matters.'

'No need to prepare for the impossible,' said
Catalina; 'José told me that if Santa Teresa were
besieged for a year it would be of no use; we have
fleet Indians who can pass through the forest, and
could bring in food unseen by any horde of pirates.
So, Señorito, do not disturb yourself about us.'

'But impossible things, as we call them, do
happen, Catalina, and it is best to be prepared.
Well, anyhow, I shall go out to fight to-night; for
it is then the attack is expected, and then I will
win a right to my knighthood.'

'There is the great cupboard in this chamber,'
said Catalina, 'into which opens the secret staircase.
Few of the men know it, but the Marquis told
me of it.  That is safe enough.  If any steps are
heard without we can easily run down the stairs,
and a door there leads to the dungeons below.
Never fear, Señor Carlo; old Catalina doesn't
mean to be taken by men who would think nothing
of murdering me unless they wanted a wife.'

'Dear Catalina, you must never marry,' said
Felipa, kissing her old nurse, 'at least not a pirate:
I could not spare you.  But do leave off talking of
danger, Carlo, when there is none.  You frighten
us for nothing.  Look how lovely the garden is
after last night's rain: the tamarind has spread
out all its leaves to show us it is fine again.  How
I long to go out and have a game this morning!'

'And did you hear that Andreas killed a
fer-de-lance snake this morning?' added Etta.  'He
says it is bad luck and an evil sign, but I told him
it was a good thing to kill those wicked, poisonous
creatures.'

Carlo hardly listened to these remarks; he was
thinking only of the coming calamity; and though
the affection of two girls comforted him he could
not join in their laughter.  They no longer feared
the terrible pirates, and were anxious now to be
allowed to go out into the wood.  But as the only
gate Santa Teresa possessed was closed, with strict
orders to let no one in or out, they had to content
themselves with sitting at the open window whilst
the sounds of soldiers' clashing armour and noisy
drill, mingled with loud orders shouted hither and
thither, only increased their excitement.

Then the sun went down on the beautiful
island and darkness fell on the exquisite
landscape.  Carlo dared not leave the room till he
knew his father had gone forth with his band of
men towards St. Matthew, which was but a little
further down the coast, and was not difficult of
access by the sea-shore.

As time went on the confusion increased, and
no one seemed inclined to go to bed.  At last the
Marquis collected his men; and though Carlo could
not see much from his position, yet as he looked
down from the window and saw the torch-light fall
on his father's face he would hardly have known
him, so changed was he.  Carlo knew now that
there was no help for it; he must only be thankful
that he had heard of the treachery and that he was
not himself starting out on this mock expedition
as he might otherwise have been doing.  This fact
surprised the girls much.

'I cannot think why you are not going, Carlo,'
said Felipa, very much disappointed at all the fine
words of her brother ending in his merely gazing
out of the window; 'and is it not strange father
has not come to wish us good-bye?  Catalina says
he told her it was not worth while, as he would be
home again so soon.  But he might have let you
go with him if there is so little danger.'

Etta said nothing, but Carlo saw that she also
was much disappointed.  Yet, for all this, he dared
not betray his father: it was better to be thought
a coward himself than to bring blame and discredit
on the famous old name of Del Campo.

So the boy walked up and down the room,
whilst the girls told each other stories in order to
keep awake--so anxious were they to hear the
first news of the defeat of the rebels.  Then after
a time the guns of St. Jerome were heard booming
through the night air, and all rushed to the
window--to see, however, nothing but the darkness.  At the
same moment there was a whisper heard through
the keyhole, and they recognised the voice of Andreas.

'Señorito Carlo, are you here?  Come quickly,
in the name of Heaven and Santa Teresa!  Do not
be afraid; it is I--Andreas.  Open the door.'

Carlo rushed to the door and seized the faithful
Indian's hand.

'What is it, Andreas?  Speak quickly.'

'There must be some treachery, Señor, for a
party of pirates are climbing up towards the castle,
and the guards below have disappeared from the
walls.'





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`A BRAVE DEFENCE`:

.. class:: center large

   CHAPTER VIII.


.. class:: center medium

   A BRAVE DEFENCE.

.. vspace:: 2

When Carlo rushed away, an impulse to
follow and see what was taking place
seized the three whom he left behind.
A strange silence had come over the
castle.  The moon was just rising and throwing a
faint light over the forest; but nothing could be
seen save the tall palms and the luxurious
undergrowth in dark masses against the clear sky.

'Señorita, come here!' cried Catalina, hurrying
to another window which looked on the sea side of
the castle; and as the two girls hurried after her
they beheld the bay below; not silent and calm as
usual, but with the pirate boats busily plying
backwards and forwards towards the shore lower down.

'What does all this mean, Catalina?' said
Felipa, clinging to her nurse.  'Where is my
father?  And what did Andreas mean by coming to
fetch Carlo?  What shall we do?  Etta, are you
frightened?'

Etta was braver than Felipa, but at the same
time she understood better the dangers of this
attack; and yet she had heard so decidedly, and felt
sure Carlo also believed, that Santa Teresa was too
well fortified to be taken by assault, that this sudden
call from Andreas was a mystery to her.

'I don't understand what can be the matter.
Catalina, let me run down to the courtyard: I will
be but a few minutes, and I shall find some one there
who will tell me.  Pedro is always kind to me, and
he will tell me all he knows.'

'But the pirates,' cried Felipa--'if they come
they will kill you!  No, no; stay with us.  Come
away, Catalina, and let us bolt ourselves into our
room.'  And the girl tried to drag her nurse away
from the window.

But Etta smiled.

'I tell you, Felipa, the pirates cannot come into
this place.  It would take months to force a passage
through the walls, and the gate is too well guarded.
I will run down and ask Pedro what Andreas meant.'

Catalina would have liked to go herself, but did
not know how to leave Felipa, who was sobbing
from fear of she knew not what horrors.  Yet poor
Felipa, as she crouched near the window with her
hand in that of her nurse, could not help admiring
the courage of her English playfellow.

'Carlo admires Etta because she is brave,' she
said to Catalina; 'she never thinks of danger for
herself.  I would so gladly not be afraid, but I
cannot help it.'

'Never mind about being brave, my darling;
that is for men and not for girls.  What would the
men have to do if we women were as bold as they
are themselves?  You see, the Señora Etta is English,
and the people in her country are not as civilised as
we Spanish folk.  Dry your beautiful eyes, dearie,
and don't be frightened.  The noble Marquis will
soon be returning, and then we shall find out that
he has trapped all these wicked robbers, and that
not one remains alive.'

Thus comforting her much-loved young lady,
Catalina soon forgot her own fears till quite five
minutes had passed away without the reappearance
of Etta.  What could the girl be doing?  And why
was there suddenly such a silence about the place?
Catalina would not have been so brave had she
known the truth or witnessed the assault that was
now taking place at the gate of the outer wall.

When Etta ran down she was surprised to
notice how few of the garrison could be seen.  The
loopholes from which poisoned arrows could be
shot were deserted; the entrance to the council-room
and the arsenal also remained unguarded.  She
could make nothing of it, so she had wrapped her
dark mantle round her head and shoulders hoping
to escape notice; but, to her great astonishment,
none of the usual servants seemed to be about.
She now hastened to the door that led into the
courtyard.  It stood open and the soft night air
blew in.

'Pedro!' she called softly; but no porter answered.
Even the Indian slaves were gone.  Etta's curiosity
was now fairly awakened.  It could not be possible
that the castle was deserted, and that she and Felipa
were forgotten by every one!

'Carlo!' she cried louder, 'Andreas!  Pedro!'  No
answer, and the girl stepped out into the courtyard
and walked a little way down to the second
gate.  Then sounds indeed reached her ears: the
clashing of swords, the loud tones of angry voices,
the waving of torches, and the shrill whoops of
Indians, mingled with many fierce English oaths.

There was no longer any doubt: the enemy, by
some means, which of course Etta could not understand,
had forced the passage leading over the ditch
to the great gate, and were now between that and
the inner courtyard, where, as Etta knew, no one
remained to defend the gate of the castle itself.
Her first impulse was to rush back and fly to some
safer place; but so frightened was she that she felt
hardly able to move; and at that moment, gazing at
the small mass of struggling beings, she saw Carlo
at the head of some dozen Indians barring the way
before a far larger number of the enemy.  This
glance showed her also the form of the English
lad; so much slighter and so much fairer of face
than any about him that she could not mistake
him as the torchlight fell on him.

'Carlo!  Carlo!' she cried in her agony.  No
sound came back in answer but the yells and cries
of the two parties; and with the instinct of helping
her dear Felipa she at last found strength to turn
away from the terrible sight and to fly back to the
gate and so up the stairs, and as she ran she called
out, 'Shut the gates: they are coming!  They will
soon overpower our people.  Quick, make haste!
Pedro, where are you?'

And still repeating these words, Etta dashed
into the dwelling-room, looking so excited and pale
that there was no longer any doubt that the worst
had happened, as she exclaimed, 'We are lost!  The
castle will be taken!  What can we do?'

Nor had brave Etta been mistaken.  When
Andreas had come to fetch Carlo, the faithful
Indian had just discovered that the path known
only to Don Estevan del Campo and a few of those
in authority had been betrayed.  Before he could
do more than collect the few slaves and soldiers
left in the castle, and station them at the entrance
to the weakest portion of the wall, fetch Carlo as
described, and with the mere handful of men then
available make a brave stand, the chief gate of the
castle was really taken.  Andreas little knew that all
his valour was useless; but it was otherwise with
Carlo, who, as he threw himself into the *mêlée*, was
conscious that no bravery could really be of any
use.  Indeed the attack on this side was but a
ruse, for another body of men were quietly making
their way to the principal gate of Santa Teresa,
and were now being let in by one of the Marquis's
officers, whom he had easily persuaded that a
desperate encounter with these pirates would only
result in their all being taken prisoners, and most
likely killed.

It was Andreas who suddenly discovered the
treachery, and, not understanding the real meaning
of the extraordinary events which were taking
place, now shouted to those about him that there
was yet time to stop the entrance of those rascals.

In this rush Carlo was accidentally thrown
down, and in falling his knee struck against a
rocky projection, so that for a few seconds he lost
consciousness.  When he came to himself he tried
hard to struggle to his feet, for he beheld at this
moment a boy suddenly spring over the wall and
come hastily towards him.  Carlo heard the
confused noise of the assailants and defenders, who
had passed on and left him, so that he now found
himself alone with a lad of about his own age,
whom he had previously seen, and who was
doubtless Henry Morgan's son.

Clenching his teeth, and grasping his sword, he
tottered to his feet.

'Rascal! infidel! son of a pirate!' cried poor
Carlo, not caring what names he bestowed.  'You
may kill me, but I will sell my life dearly.  You at
least shall not come further.  Go and tell your father
that Carlo del Campo will not be a party to any
treachery.'

Carlo threw himself on the tall fair Englishman,
and would have dealt him a blow which would have
been serious had not his injured knee proved at
this minute so painful that he missed his aim,
and once again fell on the ground.  In a moment
the supposed son of Henry Morgan was kneeling
by the brave Spanish lad.

'Hold, sir,' he said, surprised at some English
words that had fallen from Carlo, 'you are
mistaking me.  I am no pirate, and will never
draw my sword in such an unlawful business.  I
am but a poor prisoner, though kindly treated, and
my name is Harry Fenn.'

As he said these words Harry stooped down to
pick up Carlo's sword, which had rolled away from
him as he fell, and gently gave it back to the brave
youth, who once more struggled to his feet, still
blind with rage and disappointment.

'How can I believe you?  That is a false story,
some new treachery; no one who is with these
robbers can be trusted.  Stand to it, fellow, or
yield to mercy; for you go no farther!'  And,
regardless of Harry's explanation, Carlo once again
prepared to attack his enemy; but he was made more
furious at seeing that his supposed foe was not even
trying to defend himself.

'Stand to it, base scoundrel, and draw your
sword if you have any spirit at all; or, by St. Teresa,
I must fall upon you!'

Still Harry Fenn remained motionless.  'If you
will not believe, it is no fault of mine.  I have
vowed to use no weapon during my captivity--at
least in an unlawful cause.'

Carlo dropped his hands, for this speech spoke
more than weapons.  A true knight could not fall
upon an unresisting foe; but it was a deep
disappointment to find Harry was no pirate.

'But, indeed, Señor, let me help you back to
the castle.  Captain Morgan's men are by no
means particular, and might unintentionally hurt
you, though they have sworn to use no violence nor
to fire at any one this night.'

'It is true, then, and you know it?' said Carlo,
blushing with shame.  'This attack is all a farce,
and our men are even now letting the pirates into
the castle--is it not so?  Tell me all you know.'

'It was the suggestion of the Governor; but I
pray you make haste from hence, or you may
repent of it,' said Harry, wishing the young
Spaniard would retreat into the castle now, for he
certainly was in considerable danger.

'And I am Don Estevan del Campo's son,'
murmured the unhappy boy.  'Is it true that you
are none of them?  If so, I will accept your help;
for my knee hurts me much, and I must get back to
my sister.'

With some unwillingness Carlo put his hand
on Harry Fenn's arm, and in spite of what had
just taken place a sudden wave of sympathy seemed
to flow between them; each felt that among the
crowd of fierce men they seemed to be both of
them sadly out of place.

The central gate was now deserted; the pirates
and the defenders had both disappeared; so the
two lads found no difficulty in entering unperceived
by a side door into the castle itself.

'You are witness that I have never surrendered,'
repeated Carlo several times, afraid, in spite of
Harry's kindness, that a trap was being laid for him.

Harry almost smiled as he answered in the
affirmative, adding:

'But how is it you talk English, Señor?
Yesterday I could not make myself understood; and
had I known you understood my language I would
have spoken out.'

'My father wished us to learn it.  Here, this
way; follow me, sir.  I do not know what has
happened to the garrison, but I fear I cannot fight
with this horrid pain.  Our men have outrun their
fears.'

The two now crept silently up a back way,
avoiding the entrance-hall, where, from the sounds
that rose toward them, it was not difficult to
guess that the pirates were intent on refreshing
themselves with what good things Santa Teresa
could provide, and making up for the privations
of the previous day and night by a carousal.

When Carlo limped up to his sister's door, he
found it strongly barricaded within, and it was
some time before Catalina could be persuaded to
open it and admit him.  Then her exclamations
knew no end.

'Señorito! where have you been?  And who
is this young serpent?' she added, looking at
Harry; but as she spoke in Spanish he did not
understand her, though he noticed her look of
disgust.

'Hush!  Catalina, where is my sister? and Etta?
Have you heard no news?  Everything is lost, and
this place is in the hands of the pirates.  This
youth was the same one Etta saw.  He is a prisoner,
he says.  If so, he is a fellow-sufferer; and just now
he behaved with much courtesy.'

'Come in, then, and let me bar the door once more.
Oh, the noise those wretches have been making.
It is as if all the demons were walking below.
My poor Felipa is well hidden in that cupboard,
and I made Etta go there too.  Alas, alas, that I
should be alive to hear such things!  But, anyhow,
they must kill me before they touch her.  My *cara*
Felipa!  I believe she will die of fright.'

Harry Fenn stood by during this conversation,
much perplexed at all he saw; for he did not
understand that the Marquis had not acquainted his
son with his treacherous surrender.  His surprise
was still greater when in another moment Etta,
hearing Carlo's voice, appeared out of the dark
cupboard where Catalina had insisted Felipa and
Etta should hide, when on the return of the latter
she had understood that something extraordinary
was happening.

'Carlo, tell us--but, oh, who is this?  The
English lad?  Are you Captain Morgan's son?
No--it cannot be; for then you would not be here,
nor would you look so kind.'

'You were right, Etta; this English lad is a
prisoner, and has kindly helped me up here;
otherwise I should be still lying under the wall,
or perhaps I might now be killed by those
wretches.'

Harry Fenn was delighted at finding himself
face to face with a countrywoman of his own.  It
seemed almost a miracle to be in a room again--a
room which spoke of civilised and refined life, and
which contained an English girl; for there was no
mistaking her nationality, though she immediately
informed him of the fact.

'I knew you were no robber when I saw you
come to the castle.  I am an English girl, and a
prisoner here.'

'Etta, what foolish talk!' said Carlo.  'As long
as I am here you are no prisoner.'

'But tell me how you came to be with that
dreadful Henry Morgan,' cried Etta, much excited.

By this time Catalina, having gathered that
Harry was no enemy, thought that he might be
hungry, and brought out some bread from a
cupboard; and the poor fellow fell upon it with such
evident hunger that Etta's heart was touched, and
she continued to talk to Harry.

'Those wicked men have, then, starved you?'
she asked, as Carlo, having had his knee bandaged
by Catalina, went into the large cupboard and tried
to persuade Felipa to come out, for at present there
was no visible danger.

'Not more than were all the others; the men all
share and share alike; and when we were on the
marsh, with the rain falling upon us, we were in
such a bad plight that the men began to grumble
finely at Captain Morgan; indeed, if a body of
Spaniards had appeared at that moment we
should never have reached this place.  I can tell
you Captain Morgan was glad enough to get the
Governor's letter; but he laughed in his sleeve when
he found his threats had been taken in earnest, for
they were but bravado.'

'Oh, hush! don't tell Carlo all this,' said Etta
quickly; 'he is so brave and good, and wished to
go out this morning against them.  But the place
must have been betrayed, I think, for all said it
could never be taken.'

'Ay, so it was, young mistress; and, now I see
it contained such brave people and one of my own
countrywomen, I am sorry enough; but before, I was
right glad, for we suffered a great deal.  Yet I ought
to be used to suffering, for all this is nothing to the
grief I had when these men kidnapped me from my
home.  And never a word have I been able to send
to my parents that I am alive and well; for they
take care I get no chance to speak with any passing ship.'

'But mine were killed,' said Etta, feeling as if
she had known Harry a long time.  'It is five years
since I have been a captive here.  You do not know,
I dare say, that this island was in the hands of
pirates at that time.  There was a Sieur Simon ruling
it for the pirate Mansfelt, who was, they said, never
happy except at sea.  But the Governor of Costa Rica
determined to take back Saint Catherine, and when
the pirates heard this they sent to ask help of the
English Governor of Jamaica, for he was said to
sympathise with them.  He refused, and pretended
to have nothing to say to them; but he hired a
merchant ship, as if for honest trade, and fitted it with
stores, and put in some of the pirates that found
shelter in Jamaica, and gave them and the captain
private instructions.  My father, who was an honest
merchant, never knew of this; and, wishing to take
my mother and me to Costa Rica, took passage in
this same ship, but on nearing the island the Sieur
Simon came aboard and begged the crew to sail
into harbour.  Yet it was all a wicked device, for
the Spaniards had already possession of the island;
so that when we landed we were all seized and
taken prisoners.  My father and some of the others
defended themselves bravely, but they were
outnumbered before our eyes, and were killed.  Mother
and myself were brought to one of Don Estevan
del Campo's fortresses, and she died of grief there
after some weeks.  Then the Marquis said I was to
be treated well, for he wished me to become the
playfellow to his daughter and son who were coming
here shortly, so that I might teach them English.
Before her death my mother gave me letters and
directions, telling me if ever I could get back to my
relations in England I was to do so.  But how can
I?  We are indeed both alike prisoners, and I see no
chance of getting away.'

Harry listened to Etta's story with much
surprise; it made him see that after all he was not the
only English sufferer even in these distant islands,
and that others had had a much worse fate--for he
had been well treated.

'But they are kind to you?' he asked, glancing
at Carlo, who, having persuaded Felipa to come
forth from her hiding-place, was sitting with his
arm round her near the window and telling her
of his meeting with the English youth.

'Kind?  Ah, yes.  I love Carlo and Felipa
dearly, and old Catalina is not harsh; but I am
afraid of the Marquis; I can never love him, for
he looks upon me as one of his slaves.'

'He must be a false Spaniard, a feeble scoundrel,
and no true gentleman,' said Harry decidedly,
and then in a few words he told his own story, and
how, in spite of being such a favourite with Captain
Morgan, he had sometimes much to bear from the
rough men.  At this moment, however, Carlo jumped
up and exclaimed:

'There is my father returning, and, gracious
saints, he is a prisoner!'





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`IMPRISONED`:

.. class:: center large

   CHAPTER IX.


.. class:: center medium

   IMPRISONED.

.. vspace:: 2

Before anything further could be said on
this matter Pedro's voice was heard at
the door, and when Catalina was assured
that he was alone she let him in, being
herself very curious to know the ins and outs of the
occupation, and, as the Marquis had really returned,
what was expected of her and her charges.

'Thank heaven, Pedro, that you have come up!
Tell me what all this means, and are we to be
roasted and eaten alive by those cannibals, who are,
I suppose, gobbling up all our stores?'

Pedro's face was doleful in the extreme, and not
at all reassuring.

'In truth, Captain Morgan is our master now;
and so I suppose we must make the best we can
of the matter.  He is very angry at the death of
one or two of his men, and says we have broken our
engagement.  As if one could make engagements with
such paltry ragamuffins!  It seems we were never
meant to resist, but I said it was by your orders,
Señorito.  You remember that you would insist on
taking us out to the walls, though our orders were to
do nothing.  Anyhow, Captain Morgan wishes you,
Señor Carlo, to come and deliver up your sword to
him at once.  He was going to send some of his
drunken fellows to fetch you; but, thinking of the
ladies, I interfered, and I said you would prefer to
come of your own accord.'

'Let me come with you, Señorito,' said Harry
Fenn, thinking that he could perhaps soften the
Captain's wrath, which, he had learnt by this time,
was not to be despised, especially by a Spaniard,
who would find but little favour in the English
pirate's eyes.

Felipa, pale and utterly miserable, tried to
dissuade her brother from going down below, but in
vain.  Carlo did not know the meaning of the word
fear.

'No, no, dear Felipa; that would be the action
of a coward.  Besides, you might suffer for my
refusal.  This captain shall see that I am not
afraid of his threats.'

'You will petition Captain Morgan for Carlo,
will you not?' asked Etta, turning towards Harry.
'How is it that he lets you have your own way?'

'I know not.  He took a fancy for me and
calls me his godson, which is a title very little
fitting.  I often think that if my poor father could
see me, and kind Mr. Aylett, they would indeed be
astonished; and yet I have tried to do my duty
and not forget my God and country in the midst of
this godless crew.  But trust me, even if I did not
like this bold young Spaniard, I would do my best
for your sake, young Mistress Allison.  You should
have seen how he scorned to budge a step.'

Etta smiled at these words, and then said
impulsively, 'Call me Etta, and I will call you Harry
Fenn.  Seeing you is almost as if I were at home
among my relations, who, my mother used to say,
would love me dearly and would not let me want.'

But there was no time now for more words,
even though the young people seemed to have
much to say to each other.  Carlo followed Pedro
and Harry, feeling altogether angry and ashamed
of his position.  He was, too, a little jealous of
Etta's evident happiness at talking to one from
her own country; and besides, he could not bear to
feel that he was himself virtually a prisoner in his
own house; and yet, thought he, 'I have never
delivered up my sword, and I have never owned
myself defeated.'  As for his father, he could not
bear to think of him as a traitor to his king and
country.

When they entered the hall Carlo was dismayed
by a sight such as he had never expected
to see in Santa Teresa.

Some long wooden planks had been laid on
trestles and placed in two rows down the hall, and
round them sat some forty or fifty of Captain
Morgan's chief men eating and drinking voraciously.
A dozen or more of the negro slaves waited on
them, filling up their goblets when empty--a duty
which was by no means light or infrequent.  At a
smaller table at the upper end of the hall Captain
Henry Morgan was also enjoying what he
considered a well-earned breakfast; for daylight was
beginning to flood the hall, showing that the long
night of anxiety was over.  In the sky
beautiful clouds tinged with every conceivable shade of
crimson and gold were making lovely backgrounds
for the tall palm-trees and the other forest giants;
but of all this beauty the soldiers and the
buccaneers thought nothing.  Henry Morgan was
anxious, now that he was in possession of the
island, to secure it permanently for future need,
and, as soon as he could, to send on some of his
men in search of still more booty, the thirst for gold
in these pirates being quite unquenchable.  After a
moment's pause Carlo walked proudly up to the
top table, bent on showing no fear; yet what
made the deepest impression upon him was, not
the sight of the much-dreaded sea-robber, but that
of his own father seated opposite to the foe, and
being treated apparently, not as a prisoner, but as a
friend, by the man whom Carlo hated as being both
a buccaneer and an Englishman.

The poor Marquis, however, could not be said
to look happy; he carefully turned away from
Morgan, and now and then rose hastily from his
chair and paced nervously up and down the small
platform, muttering audibly, 'I did it for the
best.  There has been no massacre of the people.
Who will dare to blame me?  How could I do
otherwise?  Why has Don Francisco left me, and
where is my son?'

'Marry! here comes the culprit!' cried Captain
Morgan, seeing Carlo approaching.  'Señor Governor,
I suppose this young sprig is your son, and the one
who led the assault before sunrise?  The young
scoundrel has a puissant sword and despiteful ire.'

'My son knew nothing of our plans,' said the
poor Marquis, who in spite of his own conduct
could not help feeling proud of his boy.

'Then, i'fecks, you should have told him.
Some one is answerable for the death of two of my
men and the wounds of several more.'

'Here, young sirrah!  What's your name, and
what do you mean by having gone out to prevent
the entrance of my skirmishing party, when they
held a pass from the Governor himself?  Speak out,
silly coxcomb, and tell me who set your thoughts
agog in this manner.'

'I knew nothing of the pass,' said Carlo
haughtily, 'and I was bound to fight in the defence
of the castle.  We give no quarter to our foes.'

'Marry! proud as a strutting peacock, eh?  Ah,
well, we'll soon teach you better.  How now,
Harry--what hast thou been about?  Thou shouldst
have taught this young pate more wisdom.  I'll
have no jesting from such a stripling.'

Harry did not answer, thinking silence the
wisest course.  The curious fancy which Captain
Morgan had taken for the kidnapped lad was
apparently without rhyme or reason; for Harry,
though respectful enough, had never yet been made
to act against his will and his conscience; and
when some of the men would have liked to use
brute force, and shake what they called the young
fool's stubborn will out of him, Captain Morgan
always interfered; he would not have the lad
touched, he said, and whoever did it would have to
answer personally to him.

Carlo, the Spaniard, however, touched no
chord of sympathy in the Captain's breast.  He
heartily despised the Governor, who had been such
a weak tool in his hands, and was rather glad to
punish him through his son, as he had given a
sort of promise that his person would be safe from
insults.

'Ignorance is a very convenient excuse, young
Señor.  By my faith, you are answerable for the
death of two of my men, and should by rights be
hanged on one of your own bananas; but, considering
your youth, I will merely imprison you in your
own castle.  Deliver up your sword to me,
sirrah! and, marry, you may thank me for dealing so
leniently with you; 'tis more than you deserve.'

Henry Morgan spoke fluent Spanish, having
had to mix much with the various traders of the
West Indies.  Harry Fenn, who could not well
understand the language, though he could see the
angry frown on the Captain's face, looked from the
latter to Carlo, wondering what was being said.
Then he suddenly saw the young Spaniard angrily
lift his head and clasp his right hand upon the hilt
of his sword as he exclaimed:

'I did but my duty, Señor Captain, and I will
never deliver my sword to any man, least of all to
such rascals as you are.'

'Carlo, it is best to obey; pray do not anger the
Captain,' called out his father anxiously.  'Silly
boy! what can you do against all these men?  If you
persist you must abide by the consequences.'

At these words Carlo hung his head, but he
did not answer, nor did he look at all as if he
meant to give way; so that now Harry Fenn clearly
understood what was taking place, and secretly
much admired the Spanish boy; but he knew only
too well that in the end he would have to yield.
As well try to bend a full-grown oak as turn the
iron will of Henry Morgan.

'And what good will that toy blade do for you?'
asked the pirate captain, laughing scornfully; and
when he laughed he was more to be dreaded than
when he swore.  'It is no tried steel, young
jackanapes, but a somewhat spick-and-span new
plaything.'

'I demand a free pass for myself, for my father,
and the women in this house,' said Carlo, not
daunted, but flushing with anger; 'for it is a shame
to remain under the same roof with such as you.'

'A shame!  Come, enough of thy vapouring
and huffing!  We'll see whose shame it will be.
Here, Cross, Simon, Watkins: seize that young
scorpion and fling him into the dungeons here; for
I guess there are some down below in which brave
Englishmen have before now groaned away their
lives.  "A tooth for a tooth" is no bad saying, and
in the dark thou mayest learn that "haste makes
waste."'

'Prithee, Captain,' said Harry, rushing between
Carlo and the advancing men, 'spare this young
Spaniard: he was as brave as a lion under the
walls, and bravery ought to find favour with
you--he rallied a mere handful of men when there was
no hope for him.'

'Pshaw, Harry! away, boy, and mind thine own
business.  I hear there are girls here, and that one
is an English prisoner or slave: go and tell them
to come here--that is work more befitting
thee--and leave this boy alone.'

.. _`CARLO BEFORE CAPTAIN MORGAN`:

.. figure:: images/img-104.jpg
   :align: center
   :alt: CARLO BEFORE CAPTAIN MORGAN.

   *CARLO BEFORE CAPTAIN MORGAN*.


In a moment Carlo was seized by the three
strong, lusty men; his sword was wrenched from
him; and with two long Spanish scarves his arms
were bound tightly behind him, and in this helpless
state he was dragged from the hall; whilst the
Marquis, rising to his feet, protested in vain against
the outrage to his son.  The truth was that Captain
Morgan wished to make an example of some one,
and Carlo, being the Governor's son, would satisfy
any murmurs his men might be inclined to raise at
the death of their comrades.

All was now noise and confusion, for the men
began loudly to make all kinds of requests to the
Captain; and, seeing nothing would be got out
of them in the way of going to seek for cattle
and provisions in the island till they had finished
their feast, Captain Morgan (who was a very
abstemious man himself) left the hall, begging the
Marquis somewhat roughly to show him over the
place and to give him all the keys of the stores.
Harry Fenn was also commanded to be of the
company, which request he was glad enough to
comply with, so as to get away from the sight of
the carouse and the sound of the rude jokes and
laughter.

In the meanwhile Carlo, struggling bravely to
the last against his fate, and angry and indignant
at his treatment, was carried down to the dungeon
below, old Pedro being forced to show the way.
Presently, after passing through dark passages, the
porter opened the door of a cell-like chamber
where no light was visible, and which looked most
unfit for a living being, much less for the delicately
nurtured Carlo.

'This is the only dungeon I know of,' grumbled
Pedro; 'and many a pirate has made acquaintance
with it,' he added in a low voice.  'Would that I
could lock up many more!'

'I fancy this will be good enough,' said Simon
in a French accent.  'Here, fellow, give me the key
and let me lock it myself; there's no treachery
these Spaniards are not equal to.  Bum! that
will do; the silly boy is safe enough.'

'Take it, then,' growled Pedro, 'it locks well
enough;' but as he delivered up the key he thought
with a smile on his face, 'but there's sometimes
more doors than one even in a dungeon.'





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`A FELLOW-COUNTRYMAN`:

.. class:: center large

   CHAPTER X.


.. class:: center medium

   A FELLOW-COUNTRYMAN.

.. vspace:: 2

The Indian slaves, who had been scattered
like thistle-down in a wind during this
memorable night, now began to creep
back to their various stations and
occupations at Santa Teresa; and from them poor
Catalina learnt, with more or less exaggeration, all
that had taken place during the memorable night,
and that it was the Marquis himself who had
really betrayed them into the enemy's hands.

The faithful servant would not abuse her master;
but, taking Felipa's head in her arms, she sobbed
over her as if this shower of tears would make
matters better; at the same time pouring out all
her information, which was no comfort to the poor
girl.  Etta meanwhile stood by, pale and calm,
quickly trying to form some plan which would
comfort gentle Felipa.

But when all at once the bad news reached
them that Carlo had been thrown into a dungeon,
and that the pirates had the keys, and, further, that
Captain Morgan was on his way to pay the young
ladies a visit, Etta could not help feeling afraid,
though she made up her mind that she would not
show it.  She felt very proud of Carlo, and was
somewhat comforted by the idea that kind Harry
Fenn would help him if he possibly could.

Etta possessed one of those natures which
troubles only strengthen.  Her captivity, kind
though it had proved for her, had not made her
forget her religion and her country; yet now she was
anxious to do her utmost to return gentle, timid
Felipa's love; so she did her best to cheer her with
hopeful words, and not to give way herself to fear.

'Do not be afraid, Felipa darling.  Captain
Morgan cannot eat us, you know, and he will not
dare to do us any bodily harm, for your father, the
Marquis, is still a free man.  Besides, the pirates
want food, Pedro says, and when they have that
they will most likely go away.  Why could we not
send Andreas to warn your uncle of this assault?
He is a good man, and would send us help.'

'Well, Señorita, that is a good idea, which never
entered my head,' cried Catalina; 'but where, in the
name of all the saints, shall we find Andreas?  The
Indians are terribly afraid of the pirates, and are
trying to hide in the woods; for I have heard they
were very cruel to them the last time they were
here.'

'You know, Felipa, that Carlo has taught me
the peculiar whistle which will bring Andreas to
the foot of the south window,' said Etta.  'If he is
still in the neighbourhood he will hear it, and he
would take his canoe to the mainland and warn
your uncle, the Governor of Chagres--I am sure he
would.'

'But how could he leave his own castle?'
answered Felipa.  'Dear Etta, you are so hopeful
and clever!  If this could really come to pass!
Poor father would be glad, I am sure; for he must
already be sorry all these horrid men are in our
hall.  Yet he did it for the best.'

This talk was now interrupted by the tread of
footsteps without.  The girls had not been to bed,
and were still in the sitting-room.  Felipa turned
pale, and tremblingly clung to Catalina till she
recognised her father's voice in the passage, though
the tones were sadly changed.

The sun this morning shone gloriously in upon
the frightened group as the unhappy Marquis and
Captain Morgan entered.  Felipa at once ran up
to her father and put her hand into his, asking in
this mute way for his protection; but Etta, who
was never at her ease with the Spanish Governor,
stood alone by the window.  Yet, in spite of her
inward fears, she could not help feeling some
curiosity at the sight of the dreaded pirate about
whom she had heard so much.

After all, the buccaneer was not as dreadful
as she had expected; and, even if his appearance
were somewhat strange, yet Etta felt she was
in the presence of one of her own countrymen;
and her fears were further dispelled by the sight
of her new friend, Harry Fenn, close behind the
Captain.  As for Catalina, she turned her face to
the wall and audibly muttered her prayers, or
perhaps they were curses, on the intruder.

'This, Captain, is my daughter,' said the
Marquis, speaking in a very nervous manner, 'and this
other maiden is the English girl I mentioned.  Her
father was an English merchant, and was killed
here in fair fight; she will tell you she has been
very kindly treated.'

'Thou canst speak thine own tongue, I hope?'
said Captain Morgan; 'if so, tell me thy name,
little countrywoman.  I trust thou hast not
altogether forgotten the speech of merrie England.'

'My name is Henrietta Allison, and my mother
told me our family was from Kent; but oh, Sir
Captain, will you release Carlo?  Do not take his
words amiss, for he is as brave as any Englishman,
and I should be loth that my countrymen did
him any harm.'  Etta spoke with vehemence; her
love for Carlo made her bold, and she altogether
forgot her fears.

Captain Morgan frowned a little as he said,
'Marry!  An overbold English girl, I see.  That
young ragamuffin has only got his deserts, for it
always goes ill with a son who does not follow his
father's footsteps.  But I like a wench that is
fearless.  Speak up, girl, and tell me if thou hast any
other boon to ask.'

'If you will not grant me this one, I will have
no other,' replied Etta, her flashing eyes saying
far more than mere words.

'Marry!  That is showing a fine spirit!  Nay,
nay, Mistress Henrietta Allison, keep your angry
looks for those who will be distressed by them.
Eh, Harry, hast made friends with your countrywoman?
Stay here, boy, and learn the courtly
manners of the Spaniards, which, by my troth, our
rough fellows sadly lack.  Now, please you, Señor,
we will finish our inspection of the castle; for as
soon as my men have become rational creatures
again we must proceed to business.  I fear I must
disarm all the inhabitants, and for mere form's
sake I shall need to examine a few prisoners.  I
must find, moreover, several bold spirits who will
faithfully show me the way to Panama; for I've
sworn to take that city, and "St. Catherine" shall
serve as the war-cry of Morgan's men.  Adieu,
fair maids; and do not distress yourselves about
your companion; a few days on bread and water
will kill no lusty knight who has been routed in
battle.'

So saying, he led the way out, and intimated
with a wave of the hand that the Marquis was to
be his guide.  Don Estevan del Campo staggered
out, feeling now, at last, that he had indeed made
a mistake.  Rather would he have perished sword
in hand than have heard that the inhabitants
were to be made prisoners, and examined, most
likely, under torture.  His peace had, indeed, been
bought dearly!

'Do not be unhappy about your brother,' said
Harry kindly, approaching Felipa; 'he will be safe
enough so long as the Captain is within this place,
and so long, too, as he bears his captivity patiently.
That is Captain Morgan's way; he cannot bear to
be thwarted; yet I have known him do kind deeds
when he was in the humour for it.'

'But I have a plan, bold Harry Fenn,' said Etta,
now all eagerness to carry out her ideas, 'only--may
we trust you?  You will not betray us.'

'You forget what I have told you.  I take no
part in the affairs of the buccaneers; I do not
betray their secrets, because that would not be
honourable, but far less would I betray yours.  I
work enough for them--work that pays for my
victuals; but I will not help in their robberies.'

'Forgive me, Harry,' said Etta frankly.  'We
are afraid of every one now; yet we heard truly
how you defended Carlo.  Felipa, where is the
parchment?  You must write to your uncle at
once, and let the writing be very small, for Andreas
must carry it in his mouth; he says that is the
only safe hiding-place.'

Felipa sat down to write a few words to her
uncle Don Alvarez, Governor of Chagres Castle;
whilst Catalina, who could not write at all, looked
on, giving her advice freely.  Etta in the
meanwhile told Harry of her plan, but she did not
notice the start he gave as she mentioned that Don
Alvarez was Governor of the castle of La Chagres,
and a noble and brave gentleman who had sometimes
paid them a visit at Santa Teresa.

When the note was at last written hopeful Etta
went softly out of the room to the end of a long
passage.  Opening a little window, she imitated
the peculiar whistle which Carlo had taught her,
and which was his signal between Andreas and
himself.  Harry had accompanied her, and he seemed as
anxious as she was about the arrival of the faithful
Indian.

'Did the Señorita Felipa,' he asked, 'say in what
distress you were, and what was the reason of your
needing help?'

'Nay; she said merely, "We are in great sorrow:
come at once," and then something more about her
poor father,' said Etta; and Harry could not help
admiring the golden hair and sunny face of his new
friend.

But though Etta repeated her whistle no one
appeared for a long time, but just as she was giving
up in despair all hope of seeing the Indian, she
noticed Andreas below creeping towards the
verandah which he was accustomed to climb in
order to get within hearing of Carlo.  Now,
however, he merely shook his head and whistled softly
a few notes which meant 'Come here at sunset';
and with this she was obliged to be contented,
knowing that only real danger would keep him away.

'I fancy he is watched,' said Harry; 'to-night
he had better escape, if he is wise.'  And then, very
sorrowfully, the girl led the way back to the sitting-room.

The girls dared not step out of their own
chamber all the morning--indeed Catalina kept good
guard over them, so that it was some comfort to
listen to Harry Fenn's adventures and to hear what
he liked best to talk of--the account of his home life.
Felipa could not quite understand how he could
be so clever, being neither a noble's son nor a
young priest; but Etta had English ideas, imbibed
from her parents, and her love of England made
her listen eagerly to Harry's talk of the old church
on the hill and of the learned and kind Mr. Aylett,
who had taught him so much and whom she hoped
to see some day.  And, further, as misfortune draws
hearts together, he told Etta of that last day at home,
and how he had made the effort of renouncing his
roving wishes, and yet how he had been forced to
cross the ocean and see strange new sights in spite
of himself.

'I have had it often on my conscience that
God was punishing me for my many discontented
thoughts,' said the boy; 'and yet I think Mr. Aylett
would not put it so.  He must have told my parents
that I was willing to stay.'

'No, no; he could not blame you,' said Etta,
clasping her hands, 'for then you would have also to
say that God is punishing me for having been often
in a passion when I was but ten years old.  We must
always be friends now, Harry, for our stories are
much alike; but some day you will get back home,
and you will tell your parents all you went through
and of all your adventures, and then you will
remember me and send some good merchant to take
me away from St. Catherine to my uncle's house
in Kent.  I will show you the letters I have some
time.'

'If an English man-of-war was to touch here,
then I would run away,' said Harry.  'I have never
given my word not to escape.'

'And did you really always say your prayers?'
said Etta under her breath, who looked upon Harry
as a very saintly hero.  'For sometimes I have
forgotten them when nobody reminded me; and you
must have found it very difficult.'

'Nay, but without them I think I should have
despaired entirely.'

Catalina now broke in upon their talk by saying,
'Come, young Englishman, if you are as friendly
as you pretend, why can you not get my poor
Carlo out of that dungeon?  He will die there, for
I am sure those ruffians will give him no food.'

'I will do my best,' said Harry, 'and anyhow I
will bring you news later in the day; and I will go
now and see if I can do aught with the Captain for him.'

When he was gone, Felipa and Etta fell fast
asleep on a low couch, being quite wearied out with
the events of the long night and morning, and so
for a little while they forgot their troubles.





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.. _`THE SECRET PASSAGE`:

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   CHAPTER XI.


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   THE SECRET PASSAGE.

.. vspace:: 2

Etta's courage came back with new
energy after her long rest; the presence
of Harry Fenn in the castle seemed to
lessen the dangers which now evidently
surrounded the little party; and, at all events, so
long as he was here they would not be left in
uncertainty.  But it was nearly sunset before any one
came to break their solitude in the sitting-room.
At last there was a sound.

'Hish!  Open: it is Harry Fenn.  Have no fears.'

Etta ran to the door and let him in.  He had
a basket in his hands full of fruit, and also some
bread, on which Catalina seized with joy.

'I knew you must be hungry,' said Harry, 'so
I took these when no one was looking.  All the
slaves are working with unusual activity.  In
truth, the Captain has enough to do, and the
Marquis has been sent to San Salvador to make
the garrison deliver up all the guns that are there.
It is sad to see him so cast down.'

'But what other news is there?  Can we soon go
out of this room?  It is so cool under the trees,
whilst here we are so hot, and everything is
miserable,' said poor Felipa, who felt the burden of her
life greater than she could bear now her father
was away and Carlo in prison, and she herself was
not far removed from being a prisoner.

'I fancy, Señorita, that in a few days Captain
Morgan will have decided something.  He found
great difficulty to-day in preventing his men
scattering themselves after booty.  All the main forts
are in his hands, and he is busy ordering the
removal of guns and ammunition to the fleet; and
those who will show him hidden treasure get a title
to his favour.  You can see some of the ships
from the windows of this castle.  As soon as he
can finish this work, I expect he will set sail.  He
does say he will not leave a musket in the island;
but I fancy some of the negroes have already
hidden away powder and muskets, for the men are
inclined to handle them too roughly.'

'They may take all the guns they like,' said
Catalina impatiently, 'if they will release the
Señorito Carlo to me.  I wish I could hang up these
villains on our tall groogroos!'

'Unfortunately the man who has the key of
the Señorito's dungeon has gone away to the other
island,' said Harry, 'but as I passed by the gate
just now an old man asked me if I would tell the
nurse Catalina that the young Señor was not so
fast locked but that she could get at him if she so
wished.  I know not what he meant, but I thanked
him for his good offices.'

At this Catalina clapped her hands, saying that
Pedro was more cunning than he seemed to be, and
that Carlo need not now starve; but no one understood her.

'It is close on sunset,' said Harry to Etta,
'and if you are going to keep your appointment
with the Indian, I would like to come with you.  I
suppose you are sure he is to be trusted, for some
of these Indians are none too brave, our men say,
and fly like crows when they smell powder.'

'Andreas!  Yes, indeed, he loves Carlo as his
own son.  They often have gone hunting together.'

So the two returned softly to the place of
meeting at the window above the verandah, and,
after waiting till the sun had sunk and darkness
had suddenly come on, they heard the sound of
soft whistling, and in another moment Andreas had
swung himself over the balcony and stood by their side.

Etta seized his hand.

'Good Andreas, do you know all our misfortunes?
Señor Carlo is still in the dungeon, the
Marquis has gone to deliver up some guns, and
if it were not for this kind friend we should be
almost forsaken.'

Andreas made a low salutation, but, all the
same, eyed Harry rather suspiciously.

'Do not be afraid,' continued Etta; 'he is a
prisoner as we are, and will help us.  Look,
Andreas, could you manage to escape and take
this note of the Señorita Felipa to her uncle at the
Castle of Chagres?  He would bring us help if he
knew how badly we wanted it.'

Andreas shook his head.

'It is impossible, I fear.  I am only at liberty
because I can be useful with the cattle and the
horses in the compound.'

'But, good Andreas, you cannot know how
important it is that this Spanish gentleman should
know that Captain Morgan has taken St. Catherine,'
said Harry quickly.  'If you cannot go, could you
find some one else?  Surely we have had enough
horrors here and elsewhere,' he added, half to himself.

'The blacks cannot be trusted, and none of my
tribe would care to go.  However, give it me,
Señora; if I cannot go no one shall take the writing
from me.'  And with this Etta had to be satisfied;
but she added in English:

'If Andreas says no, it means no; for he is
the cleverest and bravest Indian there is in all the
island.'

'When do you think the pirates will go, Andreas?'
she asked anxiously.

'The Captain is asking for men who know the
roads on the mainland.  I believe they intend to
attack Panama; and yet that is a big rich city, and
is not badly defended, so that I can hardly believe
that such is really their intention.'

After this, Andreas said he must not stay
longer, as he was obliged to go back to the
compound, but that he would come the next day
at sundown to the same place, if in the meanwhile
he were unable to escape from the vigilance of his
new masters in order to go to the mainland, where,
some short distance down the Chagres River, stood
the castle of that name, strongly garrisoned by
Spanish soldiers.

As Harry and Etta returned towards the
sitting-room the former promised he would come
back early the next morning and bring what food
he could find, only begging that the Señorita and
Etta would not dream of showing themselves below
stairs; for indeed the scenes that went on--the
drinking, swearing, and quarrelling--were no fit
sight for them--'or, indeed, for any Christian man,'
added Harry.  'They will soon fall to and begin
to cross their cudgels, fancying they are full of wit
and valour; though, indeed, there are many who
have only joined them because misfortunes have
come upon them in the old country, and they fancy
this wild life is better than starving.  Some, too,
were trained to fight in the late wars, and say that
life is naught without a sword and a war-cry; yet I
know that many of them disapprove of the cruel
deeds they see.'

'But you would escape if you could?' asked Etta.

'Yes, indeed; but Captain Morgan knows that,
and I feel sure I am often watched.  Good-night,
Mistress Etta.  I will do my best to free you out of
this distress.'

Etta found on her return that everything looked
more cheerful, and indeed Felipa ran towards her
friend and began kissing her as she laughed and
cried alternately.

'What is the matter? what has happened?'
said Etta; for Catalina looked just as happy, and
was praising all the saints in the calendar.

'Catalina is so clever and so good!  Fancy! she
has seen Carlo, and, look, he has shared our
supper!'

'Where is he? have they freed him?'

'No, no--hush!--but it was good Pedro's doing;
they made him show them the way to the dungeons,
and he got him locked up in the cell that has another
door into it, and we can get at it from here.  You
know that nasty dirty little staircase which we were
always afraid of?  Well, that leads to his cell.  In
former times, Catalina says, they used to go down
from here and try to get the secrets out of the
prisoners by making them false promises.  That is
why there are two doors in it.'

'And have you seen him?  Oh, Catalina, let
me go down at once and speak to dear Carlo!  He
will know now we are going to send a message
to Don Alvarez, for Andreas will try hard to get
away.'

'No, no, Señorita, you must not go now.  I crept
down like a snake, and found my poor boy crouched
in a corner quite faint for want of food.  How he
started up when I pushed back the sliding panel! and,
in truth, he was ready to fight me, fancying I
was a pirate come to murder him.  And when he
saw it was only old Catalina he nearly cried; though
he laughed, too, afterwards.  He knew I could not
see the tears, mind you, in that dark hole.  Well,
he ate the bread and fruit in a very short time, and
asked no end of questions, poor boy, and sent an
especial message to you to tell you he was not so
badly off now he could hear news of us.  It was as
good as any feast, he said.'

'But, Catalina, why did you not bring him
here?  We could hide him, I am sure we could; and
if not, he could escape by the balcony.'

'I suggested it to him, but he was wiser.  "My
jailors may come at any moment," he said, "and
then, seeing me gone, they would soon search and
discover the door, and no one can tell what they
might then do."  Ah, he is a brave youth; it is a
pity his father is not like him.'

It was indeed a great comfort to feel that their
Carlo was so near to them, and at all events would
not die of starvation, as there was before much
chance of his doing if left to the tender mercies
of his captors, who were now beginning to recover
from their carousal, and were being sent to all parts
of the two islands with orders to drive the harmless
inhabitants in to the various fortresses as if they
had been cattle, and to treat all who resisted the
appropriation of their goods as if they were rebels.

It was decided that Carlo could not be visited
again till a late hour the next morning, for fear
of any one being discovered in the cell.  Etta,
as more agile than Catalina, was then to visit the
dungeon; and, much comforted, the three this
evening knelt down to pray together that God
would deliver them from their sad plight and take
care of their own dear Carlo and the Marquis.

Felipa was very fond of her father in spite of
being a little afraid of him; he had always been
indulgent to her, and she fretted at seeing nothing
of him.  The truth was, that the Governor preferred
even looking after the betrayed fortresses to seeing
the sorrow of his children; and he was much
afraid Felipa would reproach him for having
allowed Carlo to be imprisoned.

As the girls would not leave the sitting-room,
through which alone they could get at Carlo,
Catalina spread some mattresses on the floor for
them; and this evening they slept soundly in spite
of their many misfortunes.

They were up at sunrise, and were all impatience
for the first tidings which Harry had promised to
bring them; but when at last they heard his voice,
and let him in, he was not in a very cheerful mood.

'When is Captain Morgan going away?' asked
Etta, whose sweet face and golden hair made Harry
hunger all the more for his home, in order that he
might send or fetch her.  'Make haste and tell us
good news.  I have a lovely plan for saving you
from these people, Harry Fenn, but I dare not tell
it yet I would dearly love to hear their hue and
cry after you.  How they would boggle at finding
you gone!'

'You need not make plans for me, Mistress
Etta: the Captain has even just now told me that
he wishes me to go aboard one of his ships.  He
knows I will not fight, but he would fain make me
act spy on the others.  But see, this is all I could
find for you, Catalina.  Here are some yams and
bananas and bread.  I wanted to bring you a cooked
fowl, but one of the men was angry at what he
called my huge appetite.  They think that as I
will not do all their work I must not eat the
good things, and that I am not worth my provender,
as they put it.'

'But when shall you go?' asked Felipa, who
looked so much more cheerful this morning that
Harry could not help noticing it.

'No, no: you must not go!' said Etta, seizing
his hand.  'Stay with us, and we will send you back
to England.  The Señora Felipa will ask her father,
and when the pirates are gone----'

'Thank you for your kind good offices; but
your plan is impossible, for Captain Morgan does
not mean to leave Santa Teresa just yet; he is
sending out four ships and a boat to try how he
gets on in those parts.'

'Where?'

'That I durst not say, Señora; it was only by
accident that I overheard it; but I know that, in the
future, the Captain's mind is set upon taking the
great town of Panama.'

'He will never do that,' said Felipa, tossing her
head.  'There is a strong garrison there, and His
Catholic Majesty would never forgive them if they
allowed it to be taken by such needy gallants as
your crew.'

'That is what I think too, Señora.  However,
I dare say our ships will come back from this lesser
expedition somewhat humbled and crestfallen.  At
present their pride knows no bounds.  But, dear
ladies, I am sorry to say that I am the bringer of
evil news, which it goes against me to tell; but it is
best to know the worst.  I heard Captain Morgan
say that the Señorito Carlo was to be released this
morning and to be taken on this expedition, because----'

'Oh, how dreadful!  Carlo to go with all those
wicked men!  Nay, I know he will never consent,'
cried Felipa.

'But in truth he will be less likely to get harm
than in those damp dungeons below.  I reminded the
Captain that the Señor had had no food, and that
men would cry shame on himself if the Señor were
to come to harm.'

'Thank you, Sir Harry, for your kind intentions,'
said Felipa in her somewhat quaint English,
'but indeed I had rather my brother were in the
dungeon than out at sea with such knaves as these
buccaneers.  Cannot you obtain this boon from
your captain for us; for if my brother goes what
shall we do?'

Harry would not tell her he had no power;
so, promising to do his best, he hurried away, not
daring to stay longer.





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.. _`A NEW EXPEDITION`:

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   CHAPTER XII.


.. class:: center medium

   A NEW EXPEDITION.

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The hours wore away very, very slowly for
poor Carlo, who in his damp dark cell
reflected with bitter shame on the
departed glory of his name.  Moreover, it
was hard to bear this terrible confinement; and now
and then the thought would pass through his mind
that he had been a fool for his pains, for his
resistance had done no good to any one, and had put him
into a very luckless place and a miserable condition.
But Catalina's visit and the discovery of the secret
door, though it opened only from the outside of the
cell into the narrow secret passage, took away all
the feeling of loneliness, which is almost unbearable
to the young.  Now all was different.  Upstairs and
not far from him there were those who cared for him;
and, to say the truth, the food Catalina had brought
very much contributed to his more cheerful spirits.
When first imprisoned there had been no time to do
more than thrust the boy into the cell, so he was free
to walk the two steps which were all that the width of
the place allowed; but it was a comfort to feel with
his fingers for the slight marks of the secret door,
and to place his ear against it, listening intently
for coming footsteps.

This morning, however, it was in the outside
passage that he first heard sounds; and presently
the key creaked in the lock, the bolts were drawn
back, and a rough voice called out with a seasoning
of oaths:

'Here, young cub, take this loaf; it's none of the
newest, but good enough for young teeth; and here's
water to wash it down with; for, ay, marry, it's
all you'll get till to-night, when the Captain has
ordered your release.  Maybe by then you'll have
learnt to cudgel less and show less paltry spite.'

Carlo's heart beat fast, for the very idea of once
more seeing the sun and enjoying the lovely sights
and sounds of the tropical world made him happy.
No, he did not now regret his conduct: he had
vindicated his honour, and the price was not too great.
He longed to know more, but of course he would
not ask this fellow for any news, so he received his
communication in silence.  In consequence of this he
was favoured with another volley of opprobrious
titles, which he bore with patience, as beneath the
notice of a nobly born Spaniard.

When this visit was over, Carlo set himself
again to listen for more welcome footsteps; but it
was only after an hour had elapsed that he was
rewarded by hearing, not Catalina's heavy tread, but
a gentle well-known footfall.  It was Etta, who
after some difficulty managed to slide back the
secret door; and, peering into the darkness without
at first seeing anything, she exclaimed:

'Carlo, are you there?  Oh, how dreadful!
Here, dear Carlo, take this bread, and a fresh
banana; for you must be very hungry.  How glad
I am that you will not be here much longer!  And
yet----'

'How do you know, Etta?  Was it Harry
Fenn that told you?  Will they give me back my
sword? and where is my father?'

'We know hardly anything; for though of course
we are not in this horrid hole, yet we are as much
prisoners as you are, my poor Carlo; and if it were
not for Harry Fenn we should have had to go down
to the hall amongst those rough men and beg
for bread.  Even Catalina dare not do that, for
she cannot abide their rude jestings.'

'Never mind: when I am released I shall teach
those ruffians manners and see that you are not
neglected,' said Carlo, still a little jealous of the
doings of this new Harry.

'But, Carlo, did they not tell you?  You are
to be put aboard one of the pirate ships and to
show them the way somewhere; and indeed you
must put a good face on the matter for fear they
should handle you roughly.'

Carlo was struck dumb at this news; but at last
he burst forth with--

'The rascals!  What! do they think they are
going to use me as a guide to some other
unfortunate Spanish settlement?  That they never shall.
They may tear my limbs, but for such knaves----'

'Hush, hush, Carlo!  What if they heard you!
But Harry Fenn is to go too.  He knows nothing
of your father or of what has happened to him;
and, alack! poor Felipa, who was so glad and
happy yesterday, is now all-sorrowful again.  Dear
Carlo, when you are aboard try and bear their
raillery and stuff your ears, and----  But I dare
not stay longer, Catalina is so frightened lest I
should be discovered here, or for fear we should
receive a visit from the Captain upstairs, and he
would assuredly ask what had become of me; so
good-bye, dear Carlo!  Do not be rash; for, in
truth, they may put you on the ship, but they cannot
make you speak, and you do not know the roads
of the mainland, so you can easily baffle these
boors.  Ah, now, I was forgetting to tell you that
Felipa wanted to come with me, but Catalina would
not let her.  She sent you all her true love.'

So these two took leave, and Etta, drawing back
the tiny door and replacing the bolts, ran lightly
upstairs, having put Catalina in a great fright; for
hardly had the door of the dark cupboard out of
which the turret stairs descended been shut when
voices were heard close to the door of the dwelling-room.
The old woman was much excited as she exclaimed--

'St. Teresa save us!  Etta mi!  What heart-palpitations
you have given me!  Quick, child! lie
down on the couch and hide all the cobwebs and
dust which are on your petticoat.'

Etta did so, trying to conceal her smiles; and
Catalina threw a lace shawl over her, Spanish
fashion; so that when Captain Henry Morgan
entered, followed by a gentle-looking Frenchman,
only the most natural sight in the world met their
eyes.

'Marry! see you, Sieur Maintenon, here is the
dovecot I mentioned; but the dovelets are not so
young but that they can coo.  Prithee here,
my English maid, and tell me anything thou canst of
the mainland.  Was thy merchant father wont to
trade there?  If so, he must often have landed at
Panama, where rich stuffs are much *à la mode* and
prized.'

Etta was forced to get up; but Catalina,
pretending to help her, privately shook as much dirt
as she could from her petticoat.

'No, Sir Captain, my father was an honest
merchant who traded among the English isles,
Jamaica chiefly, and took trips to England, but he
never meddled with the Spanish settlements.'

'Was it so?  My experience is that merchants
are glad to trudge wherever they can get gold
coins.  But you, Señorita, you have sometimes left
this island?  Speak plainly, for I like not
capricious or saucy maidens,' said the Frenchman in
soft Spanish tones to Felipa.

'Never, Señor, except to go a visit to my
uncle, the noble Don Alvarez, Governor of the
Castle of St. Lawrence, which some call the Castle
of Chagres because of the river of that name;
and I wish heartily that I could let him know now
of our distress.'

'Marry! pretty dove, do not have the doleful
dumps on that score, for such a message will not be
difficult to deliver,' laughed Captain Morgan; 'the
little Señorita can give it to that valiant warrior
her brother, for I purpose despatching four of my
ships there this very evening.'

Felipa and Catalina lifted up their heads in
horror, and the former burst into tears as she
exclaimed, 'You will go to Chagres and attack the
great Don Alvarez!  That cannot be!'

'Why not?  Before the whole cheese is taken
one must taste a little bit of it and see if it is
good.  From Chagres we can easily cross the
narrow neck of land, but we want good guides to
traverse that marshy region.  Know you any such?'

'I will send and warn my uncle,' said Felipa
proudly, drying her tears; 'he is better armed than
we were here, and he will receive you in a manner
you will not like--that I can well foreknow.'

Captain Morgan nodded to his companion.

'So said I, pretty maid.  Mark you, Maintenon,
I will tell Captain Brodely to keep the
ships well together; I hear from that vile caitiff
Espada that the mouth of the river is dangerous,
and that there are several gunboats stationed
there.'

'And if it were not,' put in Felipa incautiously,
'the castle is on the top of the mountain and can
never be taken.  My uncle Don Alvarez will not
be deceived by your tricks as was my father, and
your fair promises will be laughed to scorn by him,
for he will fight to the death.'

'Thank you, pretty Señorita, for your advice.
I will not forget to tell my men what kind of brave
gentlemen they will have to meet; an we are
worsted we must yield on honourable terms.  But,
doubtless, your brother will tell us more.  I'faith,
Maintenon, I must see that the ships are well
manned and victualled: it does not do to trust any
one but oneself when there is much risk in an
enterprise, and, for all we know, a mortal crisis and
some mangling of Christian bones.'

So saying, the Captain moved away, and smiled
as he noticed old Catalina in her corner busily
muttering her usual imprecations against him.
When not thwarted Henry Morgan was an
agreeable man with much sense of humour; and it was
partly this that had enabled him to keep his
heterogeneous horde together, though quarrels
were frequent enough, and led, as he said, to bangs
and knocks sufficient to harden any softer fists.

There was much indignation and many exclamations
of despair from the girls and their old
nurse when they were once more alone, which
were only calmed when Felipa indignantly remarked:

'My uncle Don Alvarez will never be conquered
by such people, and dear Carlo will see him
and tell him, when he has routed these knaves, to
come to our help.  If only I could see my brother!'

But it was not thought prudent to descend
again after the narrow escape Etta had had, for they
could not tell at what hour Carlo might be released.

'May the good God take care of my dear boy!'
sighed poor Catalina, much depressed.  She was
feeling that her responsibilities were almost too
great, and she heartily wished the Marquis would
come back and take care of his children.  Happily,
till now Felipa had not fretted too much, though
the poor girl was beginning to show signs of fatigue
and anxiety.  She was far more delicate than
sturdy English Etta, whose spirits soon reasserted
themselves and made her inclined to forget the
dangers that still existed.

In the meanwhile Carlo waited impatiently in
his cell for the time when he should hear the steps
of a pirate coming to release him; for now, having
thought the question out, he had come to the
conclusion that he had best take the matter quietly.
Not being a prisoner on parole, he was free to
escape, and perhaps he should soon find some
opportunity of doing so.  Once free, he believed
that the faithful Andreas could hide him in the
woods till such time as peace was restored.  He
had leisure now to make many reflections as to
the future; but at last he heard footsteps in the
passage outside.  His heart beat fast, though he
tried to appear cool.  He could not guess the time
of day, but he felt sure it was not far off sunset,
when at last his door was hastily opened and a
man told him roughly to get up and follow him.
Carlo did so.  He was a little stiff, and almost
blinded by the light; but it seemed like a new life
to be breathing once more the fresh air, and to feel
the warm glow of the sunshine through his chilled
veins.  At the end of the passage he found several
other men awaiting him; but they did not pinion
him as before--an insult Carlo would have found it
difficult to forgive.

'Quick, young Señor, this way; we have no
time to waste.  We want no idle vermin among
our crew.'

It was fortunate for Carlo that Etta had
prepared him for this new bondage, or he might have
refused to follow the buccaneers out of Santa
Teresa.  As it was, however, he would not obey
quite silently or without protest.

'Where are you conducting me?' he asked, 'I
demand to be taken to my father.'

'Very likely, sirrah; but those are not our
orders.  Marry! it's best to ask no questions when
one is Captain Morgan's prisoner, else some
inquisitive knaves have learnt what it means "to
swing like a skipper."'

Carlo thought this advice wise, and followed it.

Presently he saw that the men were joined by
a fellow he knew well, Espada, who had evidently
turned traitor.  Carlo had seen him last at the
Platform, and he was horrified to hear him say he
was prepared to guide the men by a narrow path
which led down the face of the steep cliff, and
which they could not have found unassisted.  It
was by no means a pleasant descent, but it saved
a few miles of walking, and, once at the bottom,
they found a canoe awaiting them.  With a heavy
heart Carlo saw the massive walls of Santa Teresa
disappearing.  After a short row the boat he was
in was moored alongside one of the pirate ships
stationed just outside the bay, and he was bidden to
scramble up a very rude rope ladder on to the
deck of the ship, which, he found, was called 'The
Falcon.'

'Is Captain Brodely on board?' asked the
escort, 'for here is the son of that craven-hearted
Governor.  By my faith! a valuable cargo, I take
it; for he's to serve as guide, and to be hostage for
the Marquis's good conduct in the future.  Now
then, young sir, on with you this way.  And best
budge quickly; for there's to be no tricks here,
remember, or it will be the worse for you.'

Poor Carlo! his Spanish pride inwardly rebelled;
but, true to his resolution, he replied nothing
to all these taunts.  The Captain was too busy to
attend to him, so he was presently locked up in a
small cabin where the spirits stolen from Santa
Teresa were stored; still he could see the dancing
waves through the tiny port-hole, and, compared to
the dungeon he had just left, this place was indeed
like a palace, though the only pieces of furniture
were barrels of wine and spirit-kegs, in which the
Dutch carried on a brisk trade, and which
therefore received the name of Hollands.

When darkness fell over the beautiful shore
the noise on board in no way diminished, and such
a shouting and holloaing was heard that it was easy
to see the pirates were in high spirits, and thought
themselves invincible and able to do as they liked.

After a time Carlo fell asleep, and was awakened
only by feeling himself gently shaken.  He started
up, and saw by the help of the moonlight the kind
face of Harry Fenn bending over him.

'You here!  Thank God!' exclaimed Carlo.
'At all events these wretches will not murder me
without some one knowing of it and reporting the
crime!'

Harry laughed at Carlo's somewhat moody ideas.

'Oh, Señor, in truth you are safe enough now
we have started, and I am bidden to ask you to
come and sup in the Captain's own cabin.  He is
under strict orders to treat you well when once we
are out at sea.  And, look you, Señor: these men
have not been told that you can understand
English, so prithee keep the secret.  They all
come from the bigger island, and were not at
Santa Teresa.  Later on we may find it convenient
to understand each other in English whispers.  At
present, remember, I only know very few Spanish
words.'

Carlo nodded, and with new hope followed the
English boy into the Captain's cabin.





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.. _`THE ESCAPE`:

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   CHAPTER XIII.


.. class:: center medium

   THE ESCAPE.

.. vspace:: 2

Captain Morgan had done wisely in
thinking that it was quite necessary for
him to have some base of operations on
the mainland before crossing the narrow
neck of land which separated him from the coveted
prize, the city of Panama.  It was for this reason
that the expedition under Captain Brodely was sent
out, whilst he detained the rest of his ships at safe
anchor at St. Catherine, and also kept his men in
good temper by letting them do as they pleased and
ransack the two fair Spanish islands of this name.

Captain Brodely was a daring seaman, who had
seen before now the inside of Spanish prisons, and
knew the ground round about Panama pretty
accurately; but the Castle of Chagres was on the
opposite side of the isthmus, and the river Chagres,
which flowed at the foot of the hill on which stood
the castle, was difficult to navigate, and great care
would therefore be needed to steer the ships into
safe anchorage.  The Captain had been told that
the Marquis's son knew well the castle and its
surroundings; but when Harry Fenn entered his cabin
accompanied by Carlo, the sturdy rover looked
with scorn on the slight stripling whom Captain
Morgan had sent him for guide.  As hostage he
might be all very well, but for aught else the
Englishman preferred trusting his own good sense
to the doubtful information abstracted from an
unwilling prisoner whose Spanish blood prevented
him, in the eyes of Captain Brodely at least, from
having any regard for truth.

Carlo found himself, therefore, treated with
silent contempt rather than with severity by his
new jailor, and as the 'Falcon' bounded over the
water he could not help feeling happier than in his
dungeon, wondering much how it was that he had
appreciated liberty so little until now.

After the first interview he received no special
orders, nor was he expected to do anything; so,
wishing to be alone, he retired for the night under
a bale of goods stolen from one of the fortresses in
St. Catherine.  Harry Fenn, however, soon joined
him, and the two spent the rest of the night by no
means unpleasantly under this shelter, which had
the merit of being out of the way of the crew.
The next morning land was dimly in sight, and
they expected to strike it in the afternoon; so
before this time the Captain had several
confabulations with his men.  They knew that their ships
were certain to be seen, so that it was hopeless to
attempt to creep up in the dark unperceived, as
their own safety required them to use the daylight.

Chagres, as has been said, was built on a high
hill close to the river; it was surrounded by strong
palisades buttressed with earth, and a ditch thirty feet
deep defended its near approach.  It had but one
entry, and that reached by a drawbridge over the
said ditch.  Four bastions looked landward and
two seaward.  On the north side ran the river, and
on the south the hill was too steep for any invader
to climb.  At the foot of the mountain was another
fort with eight guns commanding the river, and two
other batteries were placed a little lower down.
This, then, was the well-fortified place which the
pirates were now determined to possess themselves
of; and no wonder that Carlo spoke rather scornfully
to Harry of the expedition as an impossible
and rash dream.

'My uncle, Don Alvarez, is as wise and brave
a man as can be found in all the dominions of the
King of Spain,' he whispered to his companion,
when the two were left alone, unnoticed by the
excited sailors.

'I have seen enough of these men, Señorito, to
make me disbelieve in nothing.  They will leap down
headlong into danger, and get up unhurt.  But
I see they are not making straight for the mouth
of the river; doubtless we shall land a little way
off, so as to avoid the fire from the fort.'

'If I could but warn my uncle!' said Carlo
earnestly.  'Look you, Master Harry Fenn, I will
give you a handsome reward if----'

Harry tossed back his fair hair even as a
young colt who is galloping before the wind, as
he answered:

'You forget, Señor, that though I may be
among thieves, yet I am an honest Englishman,
and I take no reward for doing what I can.  I
am no knave that gripes after a reward.'

Carlo saw that he had insulted the boy who
had saved his life, and with his usual impetuous
generosity he apologised fully.

'Indeed, indeed, I meant no harm.  I am sorely
troubled; but you at least will forgive me.  This
luckless affair has made me foolish.'

Harry was easily pacified, and he himself at
once suggested a plan by which Carlo might
accomplish his purpose.

'Look now, Señor Carlo: when our ships come
to anchor, they will put more than half the men
ashore in order to carry the castle by assault, and
they will not trouble themselves much about us, I
see.  If we could escape then, and go faster than
the attacking party, we might do some good in
warning Don Alvarez.'

'Yes, that is indeed a first-rate idea, and that
also reminds me that, close by the landing at the
foot of the castle, there is a small steep staircase
cut out of the solid rock.  I have often climbed up
by it for quickness when I have been staying
with my uncle and was late for supper.  If we
could somehow get there, trust me to distance
them.  What think you of this possibility?'

Harry's smile showed that he appreciated the
idea, so they were soon deep in ways and means;
for they could not help entering into the spirit of
the attack, now that they were planning a
counter-expedition of their own.  Very soon there was
more than enough excitement, however.  Their
ships had been discovered, and the pirates seeing
the enemy's guns begin to play upon them, Captain
Brodely clearly understood it was useless attempting
to enter the river, so the ships bore down on a
small port about three miles from Chagres, and
when the sun went down they lay at anchor.
There was to be no rest for any one that night.
All was bustle and confusion, some of the crew
declaring they would land, some that they would
find it easy to run the gauntlet of the forts; and
among all this discord the Captain had more than
enough to do to keep the peace, and some show of
authority.

'Now, Señor, here's our time,' said Harry, with
eagerness, for some of his fresh ardour and
adventurous spirit was returning now that he could
lawfully indulge it.  'We can take a small boat
from our masters; or if not, perhaps we can swim to
shore from here and walk along the coast, if that is
possible in the darkness.'

'Yes, for the tide is low; but the moon will
soon be up, and then trust me for the rest.  But
how shall we baffle the men?'

'The men are too busy to notice us.  I can let
myself down by a rope.  Or wait--I will hold the
rope for you, and when you are in the boat, which
is moored below, I will let myself down.  But cut
the rope as soon as you are in, for I can swim out
to you.'

'But the sharks--are you not afraid of them?'
asked Carlo, who knew that these dreaded enemies
had always to be taken into account.

'They are less likely to be about at this time,'
said Harry, cheerfully; 'but of course I must chance
them.  "Nothing venture, nothing have," is an
English proverb which the buccaneers certainly
act upon.'

In truth, Harry's plan was very cleverly thought
out.  The pirates, aware that no enemy would
dare to come and attack them after dark, had let
down their small boats and canoes, and were busily
preparing everything for an early start.

Carlo now nimbly scrambled down, helped
by Harry's steady hand, and safely descended
into a canoe which was tied to the ship, and
which was ordinarily used for running up narrow
creeks in the islands.  Then he crouched down and
waited breathlessly for Harry to follow; but, to his
horror, he suddenly heard voices above, and
distinctly caught Harry's words, evidently meant for
him to hear--

'I shall stay here as long as I choose: don't wait
for me.  Off with you: your business brooks no delay.'

A gruff voice answered:

'Marry! but you'll come with me too, young
Pug-robin; the Captain says there's a good deal to
do in stowing away the provision for to-morrow,
and idle hands are not wanted here.  Those that
won't work can filch no booty.'

Then came the sound of retreating footsteps,
and Carlo knew that all was up as far as Harry
was concerned; so, cutting the rope, and not caring
much whether he were discovered or not, so desperate
had he become, he took the oars, and as silently
as possible he shot off into the darkness, going,
as far as he was able to judge, straight for the
shore.

No one, however, seemed to have discovered
his escape, for he heard no hue and cry raised, nor
sound of pursuers; and this fact, after a time, raised
his spirits.  Happily, his expeditions with Andreas
had made him a skilful oarsman, and when the
moon rose he was able to see that he had got well
forward and was out of sight of the pirates, having
turned round a projecting cliff, and being now well
in sight of the river's mouth.

If only Harry had been with him Carlo would
have thoroughly enjoyed the adventure.  He was
so sure that, once in Chagres Castle, he should be
safe and free, that he was all eagerness to push on.

'I shall save my uncle, and be ready to fight
for him,' thought he.  'Ah, if only my father had
not been so deluded, perhaps Chagres would not
now have to defend itself against this fierce horde.'

With these thoughts mingled ideas of the praise
he should receive, and also sad remembrances of the
desolation of his own home, and of the terrible
story which he should have to tell his uncle; but he
had immense faith in Don Alvarez, and longed for
his advice and kind sympathy.  As he neared the
shore he saw that great excitement prevailed there,
the authorities fancying he was a pirate ambassador
come to parley; for the arrival of the ships was
known, and a strict look-out was kept.  A boat
full of soldiers was immediately dispatched, and
was soon alongside of him; and the astonishment
was great when the men saw, on close inspection,
that the boat contained only a young fellow
rowing himself to shore.  At last Carlo, by dint of
showing he had nothing with him but food, and
that he was in reality only the son of Don
Estevan del Campo, was allowed to land.  Then,
fearful of some ruse, the soldiers surrounded him,
and took him before the officer who was now on
guard at the lower fort.  Fortunately, this latter had
once seen Carlo, and then all were intensely eager
to hear the news.  After hastily telling the bare
facts, Carlo hastened up the rocky stairs,
accompanied by a soldier, who took the precaution of
bringing a safe-conduct, signed by the superior
officer, for the edification of the porter; otherwise
there might have been some difficulty in entering
the castle, so watchful and so suspicious had every
one become on hearing of the approach of the
dreaded pirates; for the name of Henry Morgan
was sufficient to cause almost a panic in a Spanish
garrison.

The surprise and pleasure of Don Alvarez and
his gentle wife, Doña Elena, can easily be imagined
when they saw their nephew, and heard of his
marvellous escape from the pirates' ship; but the
outline only of the events which had taken place
at St. Catherine could be now discussed, Don
Alvarez being so busy and eager to do everything
in his power to repulse the enemy.

'From what you say, Carlo,' said Don Alvarez,
'the buccaneers cannot be here till the afternoon,
for the roads hither from the bay are almost
impassable since the rain.  That will give us some few
hours before sunset to rout them.  I doubt much if
there will be any left.  For my part, I call it a most
impudent assault; but I shall use every precaution,
and not fall into the error of my poor brother-in-law;
for, in truth, to parley with such fellows is to
disgrace the Spanish flag.'

Carlo retired to rest, kindly tended by his aunt,
who rubbed sweet ointments into his blistered hands
and provided him with clean linen and a new
doublet of sturdy buff; for, in truth, Carlo was
hardly recognisable after all he had gone through,
and his clothes were much torn and soiled.

'God has indeed taken care of you, my brave
Carlo; you have the true Alvarez blood in your
veins.  Your uncle will not forget your brave
conduct; and directly we are delivered from these men,
he will go over to St. Catherine with sufficient force
to restore order and to give back the island to its
proper masters.  My heart grieves sore for my
poor little Felipa.'

'They will indeed be glad to see him, and you
too, Aunt Elena; but Felipa and the English Etta
have been civilly treated.  Only, it seems to me that
these pirates think that so long as they have enough
to eat it does not matter if others starve.  If it had
not been for Harry Fenn--him I told you of--the
girls would have fared badly enough.  But I am as
sleepy as a porpoise.  Do not forget to wake me
early, and you will see how I will fight these jailors
of mine, and pay them back their cudgelling with
interest.'





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.. _`DEFENCE TILL DEATH`:

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   CHAPTER XIV.


.. class:: center medium

   DEFENCE TILL DEATH.

.. vspace:: 2

It was two o'clock before the look-out
from the castle discerned the approach
of the pirates, and then all was activity.
Carlo, having no fears, and being, besides,
well rested and fed, was all eagerness for the first
encounter.  But Doña Elena had asked him to
accompany her into the church built within the
palisade; and there, kneeling down, both begged for
a blessing on the Spanish arms.  Carlo thought
too of his own desolate home, and this rather calmed
his spirits.  He wondered much what had become
of Harry Fenn, and whether he had been left
behind or forced to march to the attack.  On the
face of it, nothing could have been more foolhardy
than this expedition; and so thought the pirates
themselves as they at last, after a dreadful journey
through mire and mud, came in sight of the strongly
fortified castle.  Many a stout heart wished at that
moment that the owner thereof had not been quite
so clamorous in insisting on being chosen as one
of the storming party; but no one dared to put
these thoughts into words, for to turn tail now and
receive the gibes and scorn of those they had left
behind was not to be thought of for a moment.
They were now in an open space at the foot of
Chagres.  The enemy at once opened fire upon them
with more or less effect, and to pause at that moment
was only to get into greater danger, so, without
waiting for rest, they daringly began to ascend the
hill in order, if possible, to get close up to the walls.
But though there was no lack of pluck, the danger
was too great, the task impossible; and so they
reluctantly beat a retreat, followed by shouts of
joy and derision from the walls of the castle,
and many uncomplimentary titles, 'English dogs'
and 'Enemies of God and our King' being the mildest.

Within the castle precincts, Don Alvarez was
here, there, and everywhere; and though Carlo was
not allowed to go into the most dangerous places
for fear of some stray shot or arrow, he was,
however, ready for every opening which promised a
source of honour.  He loaded muskets, carried
ammunition, dashed water over the heated gun-barrels,
and made himself very useful.

'They are repulsed!' rang through the castle
as the men so long on watch now bethought
themselves of their supper; and the women, coming out
of the church, where they had been placed for
safety, were soon busy serving the heroes.  Carlo's
bright eyes were sparkling with eagerness; he felt
that he was serving under a brave, honourable man
who would die rather than give in, and that he was
wiping out his own disgrace.

But after sunset it appeared evident that the
dauntless spirits of the buccaneers were not yet
crushed, and that they meant to try again.  The
small army advanced in a compact square, the
foremost line carrying fire-balls to throw at the
palisades.  Up they dashed, heedless of shots and
arrows, which had fatal effect in thinning the ranks;
but at first the assailants were quite impotent to
effect any harm.  The walls were well manned, and
it was difficult to get near enough to throw in the
fire-balls.

Again there was a thought of retreat, when a
curious accident caused the fight to be no longer
advantageous only on one side.  One of the pirates
was wounded with an arrow, which, striking him in
the back, pierced his body to the other side.  With
Spartan fortitude the man pulled it out, and, taking
a little cotton, he wound it round the arrow, and,
putting it in his musket, shot it back into the castle.
This caused one of the smaller houses within the
precincts to catch fire, which, being thatched with
palm-leaves, easily ignited; and so eager was the
fight that this was not at once perceived, till suddenly
the flame shot upwards, sending a dull, lurid glow
over the combatants.

Unfortunately, the house was not far from
the powder-magazine, and a smoking leaf was
carried by the night wind towards this spot.  In
a few moments more both the besieged and
besiegers paused in their work, for with a noise of
terrific explosion the powder-magazine blew up,
scattering destruction within the walls, and, what
was even worse, shattering a large portion of the
bank which protected the palisade.

At this moment Carlo, who had been engaged
in reloading a number of muskets, saw a sight
which made him turn sick with fear.  The fire was
gaining ground; the flames, like hungry furies,
appeared to leap from stake to stake of the strong
palisade, and, further loosening the earth round the
breaches made by the explosion, allowed great
masses of earth to topple over into the ditch.

'Put out the fire! fetch water! hoist the bucket
from the well!' shouted Don Alvarez, frantically
rushing from post to post.  'Keep up your spirits,
my men; don't fall back; hurl the first pirate who
scales the ditch headlong down the cliff!'

These and many like orders were passed on;
but from below came a desperate cheer from the
pirates, who saw how the fire had done the hardest
part of the work for them, and with renewed
courage dashed once more forward.

It was, indeed, a terrible sight; the fire that
raged round the palisade was awful in its effects.
The Spanish soldiers on one side struggled bravely
to stand to their posts; while the pirates, still more
determined, crawled along over the scorching earth,
or literally ran the gauntlet of the fire, in order to
pass into the enclosure; and a shout of triumph
here and there told plainly where they had succeeded.

On his side, Don Alvarez worked wonders.
He never flinched from his duty, and seemed not
to notice any personal danger; but when daylight
came the situation looked most depressing.  Yet
nothing could make him give the order to forsake
the various posts where the soldiers were stationed.

Carlo saw now that most likely the pirates
would conquer, and he could have cried with shame
and vexation.  What should he say after all his
boasting?  But one look at his uncle's stern, noble
face made him toil on at his work without pausing
to think, till at last he was aware of an unusual
disturbance on the opposite side of the castle, a
deafening shout, and a furious firing.  At this
moment Don Alvarez reappeared at his side.

'Carlo, here boy, quick: there is not a moment
to spare.  Take this note, climb down by the rock
stairs, and deliver it safely to Don Meliros, the
officer at the entrance fort--him you saw yesterday.
If we are undone, don't let him waste any more
precious lives.  It is my duty to hold out till death,
but his to save his garrison.  Do you hear, boy?
And, if you see him again, bid good-bye to your
father.  Tell him--nay, nothing more.  But listen,
Carlo: there is much danger in carrying this
message, my boy; but do it fearlessly: it may
prevent greater misfortunes for thee at least.'

Carlo did not hesitate a moment.

'Trust me, uncle: I will be as quick as possible,
and come back to your side.  Where shall I find you?'

'In the Corps du Garde, boy.  Good heavens! the
men on the north are giving way; that is our only
strong point.  Quick, boy: don't linger a moment!'

Don Alvarez hurried away, and Carlo ran
straight for the church, which still remained
untouched by the fire, and where the women and
children were huddled together repeating a Litany
aloud, not at all realising how great was their
danger.  Carlo knew that behind the church there
was a piece of wall which he could scale, and which
was not yet guarded by the pirates, all of whom
were now concentrating their forces on the opposite
side.  From this spot Carlo could climb round
the parapet, and reach the rocky stairs with his
precious missive.

Being over-eager, however, Carlo found his
task more difficult than he had expected; in his
case haste made waste, for twice he fell back, and
twice, being undaunted, he tried again.  He
heard a deafening shout behind him; alas! Carlo
knew it was not the Spanish war-cry, and at last,
in desperation, he made a final effort to lower
himself to a ledge below without losing his balance,
which would have caused him to be hurled down
the face of the cliff; then, clinging like a goat, he
crept along till he reached the stairs.

At this moment, when, feeling that he had
already wasted much precious time, he was about
to hurry down, a familiar voice close behind called
him by name.

'Señor Carlo, wait a moment.  How I have
looked for you!'  And then Harry Fenn, with greater
skill than Carlo deemed possible, scrambled down
from a point above him, and having joined him
whispered anxiously, seizing him by the arm--

'Now, Señor, don't waste a moment: it is your
only chance of safety.  They know you have been
fighting, and the castle and all the ammunition are
now in the hands of the pirates.'

Carlo said nothing till both had reached the
bottom; then, showing Harry his letter, he said his
uncle had bade him deliver it.  Before reaching
the fort, however, they both saw that any message
was now useless, for the Spaniards were already
scrambling for the boats in order to fly up the
river into the interior.

'Then I must return to my uncle, Harry,' said
Carlo.  'I promised to go to the Corps du Garde
after I had given up my letter; but do not wait for
me, for now is your chance of escape.'

'He does not want you now, Señor Carlo: he
died at his post as a brave soldier should.  I will
tell you about it presently, for now we have not a
moment to waste: if you are found, or indeed if
I am found helping you, we shall both be shot
without more ado, for the men are in wild excitement.'

Carlo was speechless.  The whole events of the
last twelve hours seemed too terrible to believe, and
he followed Harry in total silence.  The latter, having
now reached the bank of the river, was looking
eagerly about for a boat.

'Where can we go if you find a boat?' said
Carlo at last very sadly.  'It would be better for me
to stay and die with my uncle.'

'No; indeed, I am sure he meant you to be
saved by his sending you down here; he must have
known when he did so that all was lost, and the
letter to the officer was an excuse to induce you to
leave him.'

'But my Aunt Elena--what will become of her?
Alack!  Heaven is altogether against us!'

'Do not distress yourself about her: she is of
too great importance to come to any harm; they
will make her pay a heavy ransom--and, anyhow,
they will treat her well till Captain Morgan comes.
Look, Señor, there is a small boat with one Indian
in it.  Have you any gold about you?  We might
perhaps bribe him.'

But Carlo was penniless; only, being able to
make himself understood, he began trying to strike
a bargain for the canoe, which appeared now their
only chance of safety.

The fort was quite evacuated, and so terrified
were the Spaniards now escaping up the river, that,
in spite of signals from Carlo, not one would return.
So, after some delay, during which Harry became
every minute more impatient, knowing how great
the danger was, the boys squeezed themselves into
the small canoe, and, crouching down, bade the
Indian paddle out to sea.

For a long time Carlo lay there too much
distressed to speak; but happily Harry had all his
senses about him, and had seized a pair of small
oars left behind by the fugitives.  Very soon he
noticed that they had drifted too near the pirate
ships, and that they were discovered, for Harry's
keen eyes at once noticed a slight stir on board.

'Señor Carlo, get up and row: we must make
the best of our way towards St. Catherine, if we
cannot get up greater speed than this we may be
lost.'  And Carlo, thinking of his father and sister
and his home, at last roused himself and rowed
with a will.

'But what is the use of our getting back to
St. Catherine?' he said; 'Captain Morgan will not be
more lenient to me than his men would have been.'

'He will come off at once on hearing of this
victory, I am sure, for he will want his share of the
spoil.  My hope is that we may escape him in that way.'

'But he will never forgive you for helping me,'
said poor Carlo, feeling that he had brought
misfortune on the noble English boy, who cared as
much as he did himself for freedom.

'That is of no consequence--I can risk that;
indeed, if he would, he would never dare forgive me
now; his men would not let him.  Ah, Señor, what
is the matter?  The sun is too powerful; and indeed
you have gone through enough to make you feel ill.'

'Nay, I will not give way,' said Carlo; but he
felt so sick and giddy, that in a few moments he
had to give up his oar and lie down in the boat;
whilst Harry, seeing now that all danger from
the pirate boats was over, intimated to the Indian
that they must make the best of their way to
St. Catherine.

Happily the Indian had some bananas and
oranges on board which he had been bringing down
to the fort for sale, when the general exodus of the
Spaniards had prevented him landing.  This was
the only food they had to depend upon, and the
distance was great for such a small craft.  But
necessity knows no impossibility, and now Harry
felt, for the moment at least, that he was really free;
though he would, on landing, probably fall again into
the hands of his enemies; and if so, then he knew
what he must expect--a death which would most
likely be accompanied by torture.

'Mr. Aylett would say I had done well,' was
his consolation, and Etta Allison would, perhaps,
through his means, also be able to get her freedom.
So, humming one of the old hymns he had sung
as a choir-boy at home, he took courage and
determined to reach St. Catherine or die in the
attempt.  'Anyhow, Señor Carlo will be no worse
off in dying of hunger than in dying through
torture.  They would have been sure to imagine he
knew where Don Alvarez hid his treasure.  I am
free, free, and the air seems fresher, and the sea
smells sweeter; so, God helping me, I will save him
and myself.'

Whilst these events were taking place at Chagres
the inhabitants of Santa Teresa were by no means
happy.  Deprived of even the slight protection of
Harry Fenn, the girls and Catalina found
themselves in no enviable position.  After the departure
of the expedition, Captain Morgan determined to
settle as far as possible the affairs of the island,
so that directly he should hear of the success
or failure of the enterprise against Chagres Castle
he should be free to go about other business.  If
the attack failed he must again unite his fleet--for the
greater number of ships were in the bay--and take
counsel with his chief officers; but if it succeeded,
then all hands and all heads would be needed for
the attack on Panama, which was, in truth, the
height of their ambition.  For these reasons
Captain Morgan still made Santa Teresa his
headquarters, but was full of occupation elsewhere; and,
to make the poor Don Estevan del Campo's task
harder, he required his daily attendance upon him.
The Captain was bent on demolishing all the
strong castles of St. Catherine, meaning to leave
only Santa Teresa standing for his own future use.
He thus made Don Estevan assist at this wholesale
destruction, treating him outwardly with consideration,
but implying that the Spaniard was himself
glad to help in the destruction of the forts it had
been his duty to look after.  The Marquis suffered
much more torment than if he had died as a
soldier, and every day he became more gloomy,
more miserable, and so curious in his behaviour
that many said he must be losing his mind, and
shunned him accordingly.  He was, in fact,
tormented with terrible regrets, and these were
ten-fold increased when he heard that his son had been
sent with the expedition against his brother-in-law.
To make things worse, Captain Morgan had
forbidden the Marquis to enter Santa Teresa, saying
that it would be too severe a tax on the loyalty of
the Indians and the negroes, who, for convenience'
sake, were kept in their old places; but in truth
it was to make the Marquis feel he was in reality
now simply a prisoner and nothing more.  So he
lodged at St. Jerome, and was narrowly watched,
for fear he should take it into his head to escape;
and this did not add to his comfort or his peace of
mind.

Felipa was thus left to the care of old Catalina,
and Captain Morgan troubled himself very little
about them, meaning in the near future to make
the Marquis ransom his own child from supposed
captivity.

Though glad enough to be left alone, the trio
were yet much puzzled as to how they were to get
enough daily food.  Andreas no longer came to the
balcony in answer to Etta's soft whistling, so they
concluded that he must have either escaped or been
killed.  The guards placed below were all rough
men of various nationalities whom Catalina dared
not ask for food; and she and her charges began to
understand that they were as much prisoners as if
they had been in the dungeons below.  Catalina
had been able to secrete a small quantity of Indian
corn and to bake some cakes with it; but now this
was finished, what was to be done?

One day, when all the food was gone, Etta,
creeping out into the passage once more to see
if Andreas would come or answer her whistling,
heard the loud tones of Captain Morgan giving
some order.  Forgetting Catalina's strict
injunctions not to go below, forgetting everything but
that Felipa was crying from hunger, and that she
herself was only restrained by her English pride
from doing the same, she ran down as quickly
as she could to the hall where some twenty men
were tramping about bringing in the evening meal,
and Captain Morgan was listening to a messenger
who had just entered.

Etta was quite reckless now, even though the
men raised a shout at her appearance, crying out,
'Here comes the little English wench,' and one
said: 'Ay, but she's got bonnie golden hair and
looks ready for a gambol.'  But the girl took no
heed, and, running up to Captain Morgan, insisted
this time on being heard.

'Captain Morgan, prithee, will you let us starve
up there?  We are all so very, very hungry!  It is
cruel of you; and meseems it is very unlike an
Englishman to starve his prisoners.'

The Captain received this burst of eloquence
with loud laughter; and, turning to the messenger,
said:

'Marry! good Smith, do you hear the maid?
She says it is not right that any one should starve in
this place; and, by my faith, when you bring me
such good news I think she is right.  We will
give a feast to-day to every soul in the castle.
But in truth, bold maid, I bade that lame fellow
see after your provender, and now, methinks, he
has gone to Chagres and forgotten all about you.
Here, Mings, send up a royal feast to the fair
ladies, and a few bottles of good wine besides to
drink our health in.  And mind you, little cinder
witch, to tell your Spanish friends that it is all in
honour of the taking of Chagres.  By the way,
Smith, what has become of my godson and of the
young Spaniard?'

Etta stood speechless as she heard the terrible
news.  Where was Carlo, and what would he do?

'By my troth, Captain, I know only that
neither of them has been seen since the taking of
the castle; so either they were killed in the skirmish
or they have hidden themselves somewhere.'

Captain Morgan frowned.

'Brodely will have to answer for the safety of
both lads.  If they have escaped we shall soon catch
them, and then----  And how many men did we
lose?  I would such valiant fellows were cudgel-proof.'

'A hundred bodies were counted before I left;
and as to the wounded, that will add another
seventy; but we have taken much rich stuff, and
ammunition enough to serve for our next
expedition, not to mention Don Alvarez's lady, whose
ransom will be a fortune.'

'That will be my affair,' said the Captain
grandly.  'Will they send the prisoners here at
once?'

Etta waited to hear no more; but though her
expedition had procured them a dinner such as
they had not enjoyed for a long time, yet they
could not help shedding many tears over it.  Their
grand hopes as to Don Alvarez were crushed; and,
worse still, what had become of Carlo?  Not a ray
of hope seemed now left to them.





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.. _`IN THE WOODS`:

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   CHAPTER XV.


.. class:: center medium

   IN THE WOODS.

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But as when the night is darkest the
dawn is near at hand, so the sorrowful
prisoners were not left altogether
without comfort for long, even though this
comfort was in itself a sad one.  One evening,
three days after Etta had heard the news in
the hall, Felipa lay wearily on the couch beside
the open window, vainly longing to get out and
breathe the pure air in what had once been her
lovely garden, but which was now sadly trampled
over.

The poor girl looked much changed, and it was
all Catalina and Etta could do to keep her from
spending most of her time in weeping silently.
She would not touch her guitar, and seemed to be
fretting her life away.  These three days had also
made a great difference in her appearance.  She
kept constantly asking where Carlo was, what
could have become of him; and patient Etta, with
ready invention, tried to find answers for her friend
which might calm her for a little while.  As to
Catalina, she could only moan and bewail their
evil fortune, and wish every bad thing she could
imagine to overtake the pirates.

'If I could but go out,' sighed Felipa, 'I could
find Carlo.  I am sure he must be hidden away in
the forest.  But come quickly, Etta: see, who is
coming in; some of the soldiers?  Yes, yes; they
are Spanish soldiers, and they are certainly coming
to save us.'

'Hush, dear Felipa; don't you see that they
are themselves guarded? no, these must be the
prisoners from Chagres, and--oh, yes--here are
some women and----  Surely--yes, it is Doña Elena!'

Felipa clapped her hands for joy, causing the
lady to look up; and then the sight of her aunt's sad
face made the girl suddenly draw back.  In truth
it was Doña Elena; but how changed she was!
The face that looked out from beneath her black
veil was hardly recognisable.

In spite of this, Felipa was all excitement to
know if her aunt would be allowed to come up
to see them.  Was she going to be left here, or what?

These questions were soon answered, for in a
few minutes Doña Elena was escorted to the
sitting-room, and Felipa was soon sobbing on the
motherly breast of her aunt, who, sad as she was
herself, was shocked at the change in her little
niece, whom she had last seen a merry, blooming
girl running races with Etta and Carlo down the
lovely green slopes of the tropical garden.

'My poor darling!  Ah, what sad troubles we
have all been through!  I can hardly believe it
even now; but my dear husband died like a brave
soldier.  He was so noble, so true!  Alas that such
as he should be sacrificed!  But as to our poor
Carlo, I cannot find out what has become of him,
though I have asked every one I came near.  That
terrible Captain has named such a price for my
ransom that I must write to Spain for the money.
My poor brother!  When last did you see your
father, Felipa?  He has not been here, I am told;
but they say he is at St. Jerome.'

'You will stay with us, will you not, dear
Aunt Elena?  At least they will leave us this one
comfort of being together.  But where is Carlo?
If only we could find out, I should be less unhappy.
It is quite true that our father has not come here
for days.'

Doña Elena now told the party all she knew of
Carlo and of his brave escape from the pirate
boats in order to give his uncle warning.  So that
even though their talk was not cheerful the
presence of the elder lady was a great comfort to the
girls, and also to Catalina, who, good and faithful
as she was, could not think out many difficult
problems.

That evening they had a last visit from Captain
Morgan.  He had finished his work of destruction,
or had seen it well in train, and was now going off
in great haste to Chagres to see for himself the
treasures found there.

'Now, Madam,' he said in Spanish to Doña
Elena, 'you will stay here and await my return.
I have named the sum that will give you your
liberty, but till every piece of eight is paid you
must consider yourself a prisoner.  I am taking
your brother Don Estevan del Campo and many of
the people here away with me--for change of air,'
he added, laughing, 'but he too will get his liberty
when his ransom has been paid.  As for his son, I
hear now he escaped as no gentleman ought to do,
and so----'

'Carlo never gave his word,' said Etta, indignantly;
'he told us he felt free to escape if he could.'

'Well, well, you are over-bold, mistress, and it
cannot be hunger now that forces you to plain-speaking.
Prithee, courageous elf, have they brought
you enough to eat since your foraging expedition?'

Etta proudly muttered, 'Yes, Sir Captain, I
was but defending the absent.'  And evidently
Captain Morgan admired her spirit, for he laughed all
the more, as if she had said something very witty.

'Marry, that may be; but mark you, if you
know where the boy is hiding, tell him that every
avenue of the castle will be watched during my
absence, and none will enter or go forth from this
island without the knowledge of my trusty men.
My boy, young Harry Fenn, has disappeared, and
yet I treated the lad as kindly as if he had been
my own son; and, in faith, when they are found
they will be taught to make less free use of their
young legs.  I beg to take my leave of you, ladies,
and I have left orders for a good supply of food
to be brought; but it were best to keep indoors, as
I cannot answer for accidents.  Some of my men
are but foolish rangers, and know nothing of good
manners beyond such as Dame Nature taught 'em.'

'But prithee, Sir Captain, let me say good-bye
to my father,' cried Felipa; and Doña Elena joined
in the petition, adding rather bitterly--

'My poor brother will long ago have found
how wrong he was to trust you, bold Captain, and
if you are taking him prisoner, at least let him bid
farewell to his sister and his child.'

The Captain had no time, however, to waste on
farewells; he declared this boon was impossible to
grant, as the Marquis had already been rowed out
to the ship; but he assured the ladies that he hoped
soon to be back, and that then they should hear
great news.  With this he went away as hastily as
he had come, and the only comfort that could be
extracted from this visit was the pleasure of seeing
the Captain hurry forth from the great gate of
Santa Teresa.

Catalina's muttered farewell did not seem like
blessings; but, though the chief was gone, there
were yet many jailors left behind.  The guards
were doubled without, although so few were now
left within the walls, every man that could be
spared having been taken off to join the great and
long-planned expedition to Panama.  The Captain
had considered that a score of men would be well
able to guard two women and two girls.  He was,
however, more vexed than he cared to show at
the disappearance of Carlo and Harry, and meant
to make Captain Brodely pay dearly for his
carelessness; even such a powerful man as the great
buccaneer was not without his share of troubles,
for it was only by keeping his men constantly
employed in plunder or adventure that he could
prevent mutiny and discontent.

The sitting-room and the other rooms on the
same floor were left to the ladies, the prisoners
having been all taken elsewhere; so that Etta,
utterly tired of the confinement of the two rooms,
often crept out to the window above the balcony,
where she could catch a sight of the bay, and from
whence she saw the departure of the fleet.  Every
time she went she softly whistled the Indian notes,
especially just before sundown, hoping to see Andreas.

To-day, just as the last sound died away among
the great rose bushes, Etta fancied she heard a very
faint echo of her last note.  She paused, straining
her ears, then repeated the air again.  There was
the same echo.  Surely it was, it must be, Andreas!
She determined to return after sunset, but till then
she would not mention her ideas, for fear of having
been mistaken.

Catalina was happier now that she was allowed
the wherewithal to cook her meals, and she was
never weary of trying to concoct some new dish
out of the ordinary fare provided, in order to tempt
poor Felipa, whose appetite was failing, though she
had revived much since her aunt's arrival.

Etta had been right.  Soon after darkness had
fallen, suddenly, on the lovely landscape, she heard
the faint rustle of leaves below, and Andreas crept
on to the balcony, looking somewhat like a brown
snake.

'Señorita, Heaven be praised that you have
come!  I wanted to tell you the news.  The noble
Señor Carlo is here in St. Catherine--he and the
young Englishman who came with the pirates.'

Etta hardly stifled a cry of joy.

'Where are they?  Quick, tell me, Andreas!
But do they know the castle is watched, and that
they will be taken if they are found?'

'Yes, yes, but the Señor Carlo cannot come--in
fact he is ill, very ill, Señorita; he has the fever.  But
we will cure him; the white man does not know
the medicines the Indians use for the fever--these
never fail.'

'But how did they come here?'

'I know not much of the story, for the English
Señor cannot talk much Spanish, but they came
by night; there was an Indian with them, or they
would have been seen, but the Indians can see in
the dark.'

'How glad I am, dear Andreas!  Do you
want food, and where have you been all this time?
I have been here so often hoping you would come.'

'The English captain sent me to fetch horses and
cattle.  He watched me so that I could not come;
but now they forget to keep watch.  I will come
again to-morrow, Señorita, at sunset.  If the noble
Señor Carlo gets better quickly, well; if not, then
he must come into the castle.'

'That would be impossible, Andreas,' said Etta;
but Andreas smiled as he disappeared into the darkness.

'But what is the use?' said Felipa, when she
heard the wonderful news of her brother's return.
'Carlo will die if he has only an Indian to nurse
him; and if he gets well Captain Morgan will come
and take him prisoner.'

'That is not trusting the good God, Felipa darling,'
said the noble Doña Elena.  'He will save our
dear Carlo if he sees fit.  Since my great trouble I
have learnt more than ever to be resigned, and also
to trust Him.  Let us get a little bundle of linen
ready, Catalina, to send it to Carlo by Andreas.
Wherever they are, poor fellows, they will need that;
and then let us hope for the best; we can do no more
for them.'

The next evening Doña Elena accompanied
Etta to the balcony; and when Andreas understood
whom she was he explained that Carlo was better,
but still very ill, and that the English Señorito
was very anxious to get him removed to the castle,
for they were in the thickest part of the forest, in a
deserted Indian hut, and they had not enough good
things for the sick Carlo.

'If you could hide him I could bring him here
to-morrow, noble lady: the guards watch the wrong
places, and now that the whip is not visible the dogs
keep but bad guard.'

'We must chance it,' said Doña Elena, decidedly;
'my poor Carlo must not die.  We are never
visited, except twice a day--certainly never after
sunset, for the soldiers are afraid of this
half-deserted house.  They fancy it is haunted.'

The two then went back to tell Catalina and
Felipa the joyful news that Carlo was better and
would come to them to be nursed.  Then they
discussed plans, and at last settled that they would
put some blankets in the cupboard and only bring
him out when the visits of the soldiers and the
negroes were over.

'If we must soon be separated, at least let us
enjoy each other's company as long as possible,'
said the brave Spanish lady; and Felipa looked up
brightly and smiled more happily than she had done
since her imprisonment.





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.. _`WAITING FOR LUCK`:

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   CHAPTER XVI.


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   WAITING FOR LUCK.

.. vspace:: 2

Without Andreas Carlo never could
have been carried safely into Santa
Teresa; but the faithful Indian was
wonderfully clever in warding off detection.
The dogs had a harmless powder given to them,
which stupefied them for the time being, and, the
night being very dark, with Harry's help Carlo was
lifted bodily on to the balcony and then carried to
the ladies' room.  Here kind, tender hands were
ready with as many alleviations as were at their
disposal.

The soldiers were busy drinking and gambling
below in the hall, and never imagined what was
going on above, the evening visit of inspection
having been paid.  Carlo seemed to recognise his
friends as Harry and Andreas laid him gently on
the mattress, for he smiled and began to say
something; but the effort caused him to become
light-headed again, and Catalina and Doña Elena made
every one leave the patient to their nursing.  Etta
had a great deal to say to Harry; she wanted to
hear how he had been able to save Carlo from the
clutches of the pirates, and how they had managed
to land.

'I can hardly understand myself how it was,'
said Harry, simply.  'We nearly died of thirst, and
had it not been for the Indian we could never have
reached this place alive.  Señor Carlo was often
light-headed, and fancied he was still at Chagres,
trying to repulse the attack, and I could only make the
Indian understand me by signs.  It was not easy to
tell him that we must not land by daylight, and that
our enemies would pounce upon us if they caught
us, but that we had friends if only we could reach
them.  Luckily we did manage it, and the first
person who discovered us was this faithful Andreas,
and after that you should have heard how the
two Indians did discuss us!  We have hidden
the canoe and the Indian, for I was obliged to
defer the promised reward till we had seen you,
Señorita.'

'My father hid a great deal of treasure in the
woods,' said Felipa, 'so we can easily pay the Indian.
Andreas knows the hiding-place, for my father
recognised how trustworthy he is.'  Felipa soon
explained to Andreas how much of the money he was
to get; only, great precautions must be taken so as
not to be seen or followed by the dogs, which the
English pirates would most likely set on the track
if they had the least suspicion of hidden treasure.

'But you, Harry, what can you do?' asked
Etta, who did indeed feel proud of her countryman,
for she guessed that, though he made light of his
adventures, he had gone through much suffering
for the sake of a stranger.

'I mean to hide in these woods till I get a
chance of escaping; after what has happened I can
never go back to Captain Morgan.  Andreas is so
grateful for what I have been able to do for the
Señor Carlo that he says I may stay in the hut.
If a ship were to touch here, I would work my
passage back to Europe; but that *if* is doubtful,
Mistress Etta.'

'But you will take me too if the Captain will let
me come on board?' asked Etta.  'Now Felipa has
her aunt she would let me go back to my own
country, for the pirates have taken the Marquis, and
so I need not ask him.  In England, I shall never
again be in dire terror of my life.'

Harry did not like to explain to the eager girl
that there was but little probability of his being able
to take her on board.  The idea was so delightful
to Etta that she hardly knew how to contain her joy.

'And you will see your home again, and your
father and mother; and you will ask them to let me
stay with them till I hear from my uncle.  Mr. Aylett
will write for me--I seem to know him
already from all you have said of him.'

Harry took a small prayer-book from his pocket.

'Look, Mistress Etta: this book has often
reminded me of my dear master; I have had it with
me all the time.  I happened to have it with me
on the evening when I was taken prisoner--I was
to learn the Gospel for the next Sunday to repeat
to Mr. Aylett.  I little thought then how precious
the book would appear to me.  Do you ever read
the Psalms of David and the Gospels, Mistress Etta?'

Etta shook her head.

'On Sundays I go to church with Felipa; I once
told the Padre I was no Papist, but he said I had
better pray to God with Felipa, and that in time
I should be shown the right way.  Then I cannot
read English very easily, for we have no English
books here, only I read the precious letters left me
by my mother, till I know them all by heart.  In
truth I will never be a Papist, nor forget that I am
English.'

Etta turned over the leaves of Harry's book
with great care and admiration, whilst he read
over the collect to her which began 'Lord of all
power and might,' which Etta, much delighted, said
she could remember.

'Without this I should sometimes have forgotten
when Sunday came round,' added Harry,
smiling; 'for Captain Morgan's men made but
little difference between week-days or the Lord's
Day, save now and then they had extra rations and
more spirits.  Good-night, Mistress Etta.  I see
Andreas wishes me to go with him, but I will come
again to unloose my tongue, as my speech will be
limited in the woods, and mayhap I shall turn into
a wild man such as our sailors speak of; but
Andreas says he will teach me how to shoot with
poisonous arrows.'

From this time there was much less dulness up
in the dwelling-room at Santa Teresa, and if they
might have gone out, the girls would not have been
very unhappy, except as to Carlo's state of health.
For many days he hovered between life and death,
and Etta had to act as sentinel, being most quick
at hearing the distant steps of the soldier who
brought them their daily portion of food.  There
was no more starvation now, the point being to
keep the prisoners in good health; for death would
have deprived their jailors of the much-expected
ransoms.

How eagerly every morning the little party
inquired for news, which the soldier was not loth to
give!  Captain Morgan was on his way to Panama;
he had twelve hundred men with him; they had
scarce victuals, and had sent back a boat to
St. Catherine for more maize and Indian corn; the
men were only allowed one pipe of tobacco; the
Captain was determined to take the town, but he
was in sore straits about victuals; they must
conquer or starve; and so on.

The little party hoped much that the pirates
never would reach Panama, and that other
misfortunes might befal them; only, not knowing if
the Marquis were with them, it was difficult to wish
they might all die of hunger.

In the evening Harry would come and amuse
Carlo, for as the days passed slowly on the boy
gradually began to mend.  He would tell him of
his hunting with Andreas, and how sometimes they
had near escapes of being discovered; but that the
men left behind had enough to do to guard the few
fortresses remaining, and thought, besides, more
about watching the bays for possible enemies than
of hunting the forest.  One day the Doña Elena
herself asked Harry to tell her all he knew of her
brave husband's last hours, and he recounted simply
what he had seen.  Carlo was sitting up, propped
with pillows, looking pale, but far different from
what he had been a fortnight before; and he joined
in the request, saying:

'When I last saw my dear uncle he was just
starting to help some twenty men who were
defending an important post.'

'Yes, and that was where I saw him,' added
Harry.  'I was bent on gaining an entrance into the
castle, so that I might, if possible, save you and
your uncle.  I had tried to pass over some portions
of burning wall, for I had seen the pirates rush
through, regardless of the danger; but though I
tried twice, the flames drove me back each time;
so, at last, climbing along the side of the mountain,
I caught sight of the men making a dash for this
special breach.  I could not help admiring their
pluck, though the cause was bad enough.  I came
up just as they carried the position, in spite of the
fierce resistance they met.  Following them through
the breach, I saw that this last effort would most
likely end in the capture of the castle; for I noticed
several Spanish soldiers throw themselves over the
parapet rather than fall into the pirates' hands alive.
They would not ask for quarter--indeed, it would
not have been granted.  Just then I met a fellow
who was badly wounded, and I asked him if he
knew whether the Governor were taken, or what
had become of him.  This man told me Don
Alvarez had retired to the Corps-du-Garde, and
was defending it like a lion.  So, never thinking
of danger, I hastened in the direction to which he
pointed, and beheld a scene I shall never forget.
Don Alvarez was standing at the head of a flight
of steps, and round him and below him were some
thirty men.  The pirates had double the number
of men, and saw it was only a question of time,
and that a short one.  I was looking everywhere
for you, Señor Carlo, and, not seeing you, I was just
going to hurry away, when I heard a sharp report,
and then a yell of anger; and, looking back, I saw
the noble Don Alvarez fall forward, struck through
the heart with a musket-shot.  I knew that I had
not then a moment to lose; and, meeting a fugitive
Spaniard, I asked him to tell me where the young
nephew of the Governor had last been seen, for I
was none of the enemy.  He hardly believed me;
but pointed to some spot behind the church; and
the rest you know, Señor Carlo.'

'If it had not been for you, Harry Fenn, I must
have been caught at last, or else died of that fever.
I wish my uncle had lived to hear of it and to
reward you, but when my----'  Poor Carlo paused;
he, could not appeal to his father, for all that history
was one he could not bear to think about; so he
added, 'When I am a man I will give you
whatever you like to ask of me.'

'There is nothing to thank me for,' said Harry,
laughing; 'in running away with you I was but
doing what I had planned for a long time.  You
see, I promised Mistress Etta to help her back to
her own country; and to do that I must e'en get
back first myself.'

'And you, Aunt Elena,' said Felipa, 'shall you
really have to pay the large ransom?  It does seem
hard to be deprived of one's home and then have
to pay the wicked men who have made one
unhappy and miserable.'

'We must not complain, Felipa, for nothing
would be allowed to happen unless God saw that
it was for our good.  If I could have seen my
poor brother I should have taken counsel with
him; but I must resign myself to a long captivity
till the money can come from Spain.'

'Then why should you not go and fetch it
yourself, noble lady?' said Harry.  'If I were you, I
would not stay here longer than I could help; for if
Captain Morgan were killed the pirates might choose
another captain who would not treat you as civilly
as he does.'

'But there is little chance of one of our ships
being able to come into port here,' said Carlo.
'Andreas told me that the bays were very closely
watched.'

'What I most fear is the return of the victorious
pirates,' said Harry, thoughtfully.  'If we hear news
of the taking of the city of Panama, I think we
must try and escape, or at all events get to some
Spanish settlement whence they will send us on.'

So they talked and planned, but could do
nothing at present except wait patiently, Harry
promising to keep a sharp look-out for any ship
flying the Spanish colours, adding:

'I fancy the Captain will certainly take the rich
city if it is at all possible, and after seeing the
attack on Chagres I can believe these bold men
capable of taking even a large place, especially when
driven to great straits by hunger.  I was by when
the Captain made all his men sign the articles of
common agreement between them, and in that they
bound themselves to obey him and to do their
utmost to carry out all his plans.'

'The selfish robbers!' cried Catalina, indignantly.
'Heard you anything else of importance,
young Englishman?'

'But very little,' answered Harry, rubbing his
forehead and trying to recall what had passed on
the pirate vessel.  'Every captain was to have the
share of eight men; the surgeon, besides his pay, was
to have two hundred pieces of eight for his chest of
medicaments, and other officers in some such-like
proportion.  But I remember that for the loss of
both legs in battle the unfortunate buccaneer was
to receive fifteen hundred pieces of eight, and he
was to get still more for the loss of both hands.'

'All these ravages should be put an end to by
the sovereigns who own these people.  All nations
of Europe have joined in it; and it is high time it
were stopped,' said Doña Elena Alvarez.  'But
now, kind Harry, it is time you went away, for
Carlo is tired and must go to bed.'

'It is so dark to-night that I wonder how you
will find your way to the hut,' said Etta.

'I have been making a store of candles from
the Bois-de-Chandel.  Andreas showed me how
the Indians prepare it.  Truly, how my parents
would laugh to see me in an Indian hut!  But I
have to be careful of shading my light, for Andreas
says we must not trust the negroes, and they often
wander at night when the fancy seizes them.'

With this Harry slipped away; and Etta went
with him so as to close the window and secure it
when he had let himself down from the balcony.





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.. _`DISCOVERED`:

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   CHAPTER XVII.


.. class:: center medium

   DISCOVERED.

.. vspace:: 2

At last, after what seemed to him a long,
weary time, Carlo began to feel stronger,
so that the difficulty to conceal him
became much greater, the high-spirited
boy finding confinement quite unbearable.  His
aunt and Catalina now suffered much anxiety on
account of his rashness, and as contact with danger
soon makes people forget it Carlo would often slip
out even before sunset and go off to the woods to
find Harry.  He used to get over at the old spot,
which was not now guarded, and then, following
the Indian trail, he and Harry managed to amuse
themselves in the woods.  True, he would slip back
again, looking more rosy and more cheerful; but
Catalina was always saying that some day the rash
boy would repent of his want of prudence.  As it
was, if it had not been for the vigilance of Andreas
even the lazy guards must have had their suspicions
aroused.  One day Andreas arrived at the Indian
hut just as the two, who were now fast friends, were
preparing their arrows to go hunting for pigeons,
which Carlo took home to Catalina to cook so as
to make a change in their bill of fare.

'There you are, Andreas!  You are just in time
to go with us,' exclaimed Carlo.

'No, Señor, I must be back at the compound
in half an hour; but I have just heard much news,
and I came to tell you.  The Frenchman Simon
has just landed, and brings tidings from Chagres,
where men have arrived telling of the taking of
Panama.  The Frenchman has brought several
officers with him who were wounded, but are now
better; and I fear these guards will have their
eyes opened wider than the men now in charge.'

'Have they really taken Panama?' exclaimed
Harry and Carlo; and the latter added, 'That is
indeed a feat I had not expected--though you
did, Harry.  But did you hear any particulars,
Andreas?'

'They are very full of all sorts of stories, but I
fancy they are not all true--how in one place
they boiled leathern bags to eat and were at death's
door for want of food.  After ten days of incredible
hardships they came in sight of the city, and there
they engaged in very severe fighting.  But the
terror of their name did more for them than even
their valour, for they were but a handful compared
with the Spaniards.'

'But what of the poor city?' said Harry, when
Carlo had translated the news to him.

'The city was set fire to, which must have been
a great and sad sight.  I was once there--when
Padre Pietro took me as a boy--and I saw the great
merchants' houses, those belonging to the Genoese
being the finest; and as for the convents and the
private dwellings, the churches--ah, they could not
be numbered.'

'But the pirates will have enough gold and to
spare,' said Carlo; 'perhaps they will now let my
father go free.'

'The thirst for gold seems never satisfied,'
answered Harry, 'and the worst is when they
divide the spoil; there is a great deal of quarrelling
over it, and I have seen them fight to the death
over a few pieces of eight.'

'The Frenchman Simon declares that they
have taken a great deal of gold and many slaves,
and that when the Captain has settled everything
he will return here and make it so strong that no
enemy will ever be able to retake it.  The orders
are that the work is to begin at once, and that the
ladies are to be taken great care of, as he will
settle the final ransom when he comes back.  That
makes me tremble for your safety, Señorito; it
would, perhaps, be more prudent to hide in the
secret passage.'

'Then I may as well be taken by the pirates,
Andreas.  I was stifled before in that odious hole.
No, no; let me keep my liberty as long as I can.
I promise I will keep a sharp look-out for this
Simon.  Now let us have a little fun; we try so
hard to shoot the arrows as you do, Andreas, but
we have had as yet but poor success.'

'The Señorito was not born an Indian,' said
Andreas, a little sadly.  'Before the white man
came all these forests were our hunting-grounds;
but there came good as well as evil with the
strangers.'  Then after a pause he added:

'If you will follow me I can show you a spot
that few know how to reach.'

The boys were only too glad to comply, and
Andreas took out of a hiding-place in the hut a
curious blow-pipe, which was a reed from ten to
eleven feet in length.

'You will take my bow, Señor, and we shall see
who will shoot the farthest.'

Harry examined this new kind of weapon with
great curiosity.  There was no appearance of knot
or joint in it; only the end which was to be applied
to the mouth was tied round with small silk grass
cord.  The arrows which Andreas next produced
for his blow-pipe were nine or ten inches long,
made out of the leaf of a palm-tree, and as sharp as
a needle.

'An inch of the pointed end is poisoned, whilst
the opposite end is burned to make it hard,' said
Andreas, exhibiting these beautifully made arrows;
'and this white stuff is the wild cotton.  See, this
quiver will hold five hundred such.  Now come,
but you must tread softly as a cat.'

He led through an intricate path in the midst
of the dense forest.  Harry would never have
expected to find any human being able to thread
through such a tangled mass; but Carlo knew what
were the powers of Andreas in this respect.  Then
suddenly the Indian stopped; he looked up into
the tall branches above him, and, putting his
blow-pipe to his mouth, he collected his breath for the
fatal puff.  Two feet from the end of the tube two
teeth of the acouri were fastened, and these served
Andreas for a sight.  As Andreas lifted the pipe
the boys waited in breathless silence; then, suddenly
and swiftly, the arrow flew unerringly upwards.
Had it missed?  Harry thought so at first; but no:
there was a flutter, and then a pajui, an excellent
game-bird, came falling heavily to the ground.

'Capital!' cried Harry; 'I don't believe I could
do that.'  He was going to pick up the bird, but
Andreas stopped him, and Carlo cried out:

'Take care, Harry.  Andreas will know how
to handle the bird; you might touch the poisoned
point.  This wourali is such a strange thing, though
it does not hurt the flesh of the bird in the least.'

Andreas smiled to see Harry's astonishment,
and, handing him the blow-pipe, told him to try
what he could do, as he himself had to return to
the compound; but, as can be easily imagined,
Harry's breath was not equal to sending an arrow
three hundred feet into the air; he would require
many years of practice before he could rival the
Indian's dexterity.

After much excitement the two returned to
the hut, Carlo thinking it safer to stay some time
in the wood after nightfall to make sure the coast
would be clear before his return to Santa Teresa.

By the light of their one candle the young
Spaniard usually gave Harry lessons in Spanish
out of a book he had brought from the castle; and
Harry, having heard a great deal of that tongue
spoken by the pirates, was an apt pupil.  After the
lesson they fell to talking about the chances Harry
had of finding an English ship, and Carlo a Spanish
one.  Certainly the effort ought to be made before
the chance of Captain Morgan's return; but how
was it to be done?  For Andreas' canoe was too
slight to trust on the sea, and was, moreover,
much in need of repair.  This evening after their
discussion Carlo added:

'I have been talking to Andreas about the caves
which lie on the bigger island; but how are we to
get the girls and my aunt to them, not to mention
dear old Catalina, whom we could not leave behind?
The bridge is well guarded, and we have no boat to
go by water; besides, we should be sure to be taken
by one of the pirate ships.  Whichever way I look,
escape seems impossible.  Then, too, the thought
of my father makes me sad; he has suffered so
much that I cannot feel angry with him now as I
did at first.'

'Never say die, Señor; that is English advice, and
it serves the purpose of making one feel ashamed
of giving way to despair.  I know there is little
chance for any of us, and yet I do go on hoping
still.  God has allowed me to escape so far, and I
mean to keep up a brave heart.  At night I dream
of my home, and actually the other evening I woke
up telling my father about the capture of Chagres
Castle.  I was deeply disappointed to find myself
alone in this hut, I assure you.  But prithee,
Señor Carlo, it is time you returned; the Señora
will be anxious about you, and will fancy you are
in danger of new horrors.'

Carlo agreed, though he was sorry to leave
Harry in such uncomfortable quarters; but the
latter answered, laughing:

'I am hardy by nature, and I have learnt now
to be able to sleep on any bed, even Mother Earth's
hardest mattress; and besides, Señor Carlo, I feel
more secure here than if I were in your gruesome
hole in the castle.  Give my duty to my countrywoman,
and tell her I am carving her a whistle to
wear at her girdle when she is once more free to flit
hither and thither at her pleasure.'

Carlo made his way very cautiously out of the
forest for fear of meeting any stray dogs that might
be prowling round.  But all was quiet and silent
as he crept up to the breach, which the pirates had
never yet taken the trouble to repair.  Whether
Andreas' warnings had made him more nervous, or
whether he were trying to be more watchful, he could
not tell; but as he approached the verandah he
fancied he heard a slight noise among the bushes.
He paused, and the sound ceased; then he made
a few steps forward, and, hearing nothing more, he
cautiously climbed up the verandah and swung
himself as usual over the low balcony.  The
window was left open, and before closing it he
looked down into the bushes.  Once again he
fancied he heard a soft stir, but the darkness
prevented him seeing anything more than a slight
waving motion among the great rose-bushes.

In the sitting-room everything looked as usual.
Felipa was bending over some embroidery as if
she were still the little mistress of Santa Teresa,
and Etta's face looked flushed with excitement as
she fixed her blue eyes intently on a palm-leaf
basket she was weaving, which work Andreas had
taught her long ago.

'Carlo, look!' she cried.  'I have had a mishap
with two baskets, but this one shall succeed.  How
have you fared to-day, and did Harry Fenn have
good sport?'

'Andreas gave him a lesson on the blow-pipe,
and I can tell you your Englishman opened his
eyes wide.  But what of the Frenchman, Señora?
Have you seen him?'

'No; but we heard a bustle in the hall, and the
soldier who came this evening said we should have
a visitor to-morrow.'

'Has Harry Fenn heard of any ship in our
neighbourhood?' said Doña Elena, anxiously.
'Catalina says this Frenchman has a bad name,
and that she fears you will be discovered if they
set a stronger guard; so do be careful, my poor
Carlo.'

Carlo thought of the noise he had heard in the
bushes, and wondered if he had already been seen
and betrayed; but he deemed it wiser not to
mention this.

'One thing I swear,' he said suddenly: 'they
shall not separate us again.  Felipa, say you will
follow where I lead, little sister.  If we must die,
let us at least die together.'

'Indeed I will, Carlo, for I am weary of being
a prisoner,' she answered with a sigh; and Doña
Elena, looking up, saw a strange look of pain and
sadness pass over the girl's face.

Suddenly Etta sprang from the low couch on
which she was sitting and put her finger on her
lips.

'Carlo!  Carlo!' she whispered, 'hide quickly!
Catalina, help him--I hear steps.  Make haste,
prithee, make haste!'

Carlo listened, but heard nothing, only Etta's
hand pushed him towards the cupboard door, and
to please her he retreated.  Poor much-tried Doña
Elena turned pale, whilst Felipa drew near to her;
for now all of them heard distinctly the steps.  In
two more minutes, after an impatient knock, the
expected Frenchman entered, and his quick glances
took in the party as he made a profound bow, and said:

'Good! the Señora and the Doña Elena Alvarez,
the nurse and the English girl--that was
as the Captain said.  Good-evening, ladies.  I
suppose you have not heard that the young Señor
Carlo has returned to the island, and that he is now
secreted in the wood?'

'My nephew is not likely to keep in the woods
when we are here,' said Doña Elena, with great
presence of mind.

'That may or may not be; but Captain Morgan
is coming back in a few days, Madame, and he
sent word that you would all be ransomed or sold
as slaves.  The young Señor was especially to be
well cared for if he landed here.  And I fancy
I have heard something of such an event.'  Then
he added: 'Perhaps that old Spanish woman could
tell something about him if we were to ask her
questions below.'

Doña Elena rose to her full height.

'You must first kill me before you touch our
faithful Catalina.  Leave my presence, Monsieur.'

'Well, well, don't be angry, Doña Elena: to-morrow
is time enough.  As for to-night, we will
have a hunt with the dogs in the forest and see
for ourselves.  Good-night, ladies.'





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.. _`HUNTING A FUGITIVE`:

.. class:: center large

   CHAPTER XVIII.


.. class:: center medium

   HUNTING A FUGITIVE.

.. vspace:: 2

When Carlo was gone Harry went on
with his lesson; and then, feeling
somewhat weary after his expedition, he
prepared his bed, which preparation
consisted merely in fastening up an Indian
hammock that Andreas had made for him.  And as he
did so he could not help thinking of his
comfortable bed at home, and of the love which had been
his from childhood till the day he was kidnapped.
The thought of his parents was always a very
sorrowful one to Harry.  Ah, if only he could
escape! and then, once in England, he would hunt
up Etta Allison's uncle and make him send for his
niece.  But the 'if' was not likely to be fulfilled.

Next, Harry cooked his supper, and this was
also a very simple affair; he lit a tiny fire in a
space within the hut between a few bricks, and
allowed the smoke to find its way out by a small
hole at the side of the hut.  After baking his
maize cake he quickly extinguished his fire, as
smoke was a real element of danger even in this
thick forest.

As he now ate his very modest meal, thinking
over the plenteous fare in the home-farm, he could
not help dwelling on the thought of bright-eyed Etta.

'She has the sweetest face I ever clapt eyes on,'
he thought, 'and her hair is like golden light on a
thistle-down.  How my mother would be made
glad with her sweet speecheries!  Nay, but when
I get back--if God wills I ever do get back--then
I will e'en come here again and fetch
her away, if so be her uncle will not do it.
In truth I will; and then I will ask her to be my
wife, and she will be the comforting of the old
people, for she has such brave, sweet, winning ways,
and has far more courage than the pretty Spanish
girl, who could be turned about whichever way the
wind blew, and has, besides, no pretty witcheries.'

Harry, having thus settled his own future, took
out his little prayer-book and read a gospel, thinking
as he did so of Mr. Aylett, and wondering, as he had
done many and many a time, what his friend had
thought when he had heard of his disappearance.
Now and then he half feared whether he had fancied
that he had gone willingly with the freebooters;
and this idea troubled him; but at other times he
put it away as impossible.

Harry was about to kneel down to say his
prayers--which worship seemed only natural in the
midst of this beautiful forest with the spreading
palms, and the Bois Chataigne opening its petals
in the darkness and the many other forest giants--when
suddenly he heard Andreas' very faint whistle,
although in the deep silence of solitude he had not
noticed his approach--indeed nothing around him
but well-known sounds, such as distant notes of a
few birds.

Harry started up, and would have called out,
but remembered caution, so that he even put out
his light before he opened the door.  He was glad
enough now that Carlo's lessons helped him to
understand Andreas' meaning, if not quite all his
words.

'Quick, Señor, and quiet; this place is no longer
safe: they are going to beat through the forest with
the dogs to-night.  They fancy you are the Señorito;
but, thank God, he is safe, at least for to-night.
Follow quickly, but first take everything away from
the hut.'

With quick dexterity the Indian unswung the
hammock and rolled up in it the few properties
that were in the hut; then, placing this on his head,
he led the way forward, plunging yet deeper into
the wood.  Harry followed as best he could,
enduring patiently many a scratch from sharp prickles
and thorns, and many a bruise and tumble.  'Wait
a moment, Señor,' said Andreas after a time; 'I will
put this bundle in this stream and drag it down
some way; the dogs will then lose the scent.  Give
me your hand: we must wade up this streamlet.
Ah, Señor, it is a cruel sport, hunting the human
being with fierce dogs.  In the old days the
Spaniards hunted down the poor Indians--when I was
a boy I have seen them--and now the white men
hunt each other.'  Then, with a low chuckle, Andreas
added, 'I have made the dogs stupid with my
powder; they will be very slow; but I dared not stupefy
them altogether for fear of discovery.  Now, Señor
here is your hiding-place; I know you can climb.
This big trunk would shelter many men, but it is
a secret few know of.  The Indians made the
retreat long ago, and many a poor hunted being
has found safety here.'

Harry did as he was bid, and with a good deal
of help, which he would have despised had it been
light, he found himself half-way up a great trunk,
now hollow in parts, and showing that decay had
set its hand there.  When they had reached this
position Andreas crept through a tiny aperture, and
the two found themselves in a small room in the
huge hollow tree.  The hand of man had made a
floor and roofed it in, so that there was a hollow
tree above and a hollow tree below.  It was so
beautifully contrived that when the door was opened
it could be fastened from within and leave no mark
of its being a door on the outside, whilst a hole in the
ceiling would let in air and a small amount of light.
Andreas smiled at Harry's exclamations of
surprise and admiration.

'The Señor will be safe here if the dogs do not
pick up the scent again; if they do, see, here is a
bow and arrow and some big stones.  Don't let
any one climb up, but do not open the door unless
you are sure you are discovered; they will look up
the hollow tree but will see nothing.'

Andreas did not wait to be thanked, and, with
another warning not to open the door, he slipped
down, and was soon purposely making a false scent
to another hiding-place known to some of the
Indians who might be employed by the pirates to
scour the forest for Carlo.

Andreas crept back to the castle an hour later,
just as the party organised by Sieur Simon was
about to start, and, pretending he was awakened
by the noise, he crept out of his hut near the
compound and offered to join the party.  His services
would most likely have been accepted had not a
negro told the Frenchman that Andreas was very
fond of the young Señor and that he would be of
no use.

Simon, always on the look-out for treachery,
told Andreas to go back to his compound, and
that when Captain Morgan returned it would then
be seen if the Indian knew anything of the runaway
Carlo.

It was an awful procession which Andreas
watched issuing out of the gate of Santa Teresa.
The dusky forms of the negroes with their black
woolly heads, their thick lips grinning at the idea of
an exciting chase, holding in the fierce baying dogs
with long leashes, and accompanying by blows
their unearthly howling, and behind these again
some ruffianly-looking pirates taking their orders
from the slight, crafty-looking Frenchman.

Then at last all was ready, and with another
long howl of cruel eagerness both men and dogs
rushed down the steep mountain-side.

Faithful Andreas had still some work to do; he
knew how anxious Doña Elena would be, and that
in truth even Carlo was in great danger.  The
Indian sat by his hut for some time, thinking of
some plan of escape, knowing well that Captain
Henry Morgan, once back, would make short work
of any fugitives hidden in the woods.  Not arriving
at any satisfactory solution, Andreas climbed up to
the balcony, and, unfastening the window, he stole
softly to the door of the ladies' room.

As he had expected, there was still a light
burning.  The ladies had been too much afraid of
what was going to happen to have the heart to go to
bed; besides, their presence in the chamber guarded
Carlo's hiding-place.  Suppose the dogs should
trace him to the castle and into their very presence?
The idea made them shudder.  Carlo was still
crouching on the top step of the secret staircase,
and was not at all enjoying the situation, when
Etta recognised Andreas' whistle and opened the
door carefully to him.

'What news, Andreas?' she said.  'Oh, it was
dreadful!  We heard the dogs baying; it made our
blood run cold.  Make haste and tell us all you
know.'

'But the Señor Carlo is safe?'

'Yes, yes; but Harry Fenn--oh, will they find
him?' exclaimed Etta, almost crying.

'I hope not, Señorita; but there is much danger
for all of you.  If the noble Doña Alvarez will
allow me, I will take counsel with the Señor for
a few moments at least.'

'Are you sure that dreadful Frenchman will
not come back, Andreas?  He made us tremble,
for he looked so evil.'

'At all events, not till the dogs return.  As for
the English Señor, he is safely hidden, if there can
be any place safe from those beasts.  Had he been
in the hut, they would have had him in a very short
time.'

Carlo had now been let out by Catalina, and he
and Andreas were soon deep in a quick, low-toned
conversation.  The danger for himself and Harry
was great; most likely the pirates would not spare
their lives after all that had happened; and still no
ship was yet in sight.

'I know but one way, Señor Carlo: there is a
small desert island which is out of the track of the
ships, and if we could steal a boat I could take you
and the Señor Harry to it.  If we could prepare
everything we might start to-morrow at sunset.  I
will take care to keep back enough dried meat
from the store and take a skin of water.'

'But, Andreas, on your return you would be
found out; and how could I leave my aunt and sister?'

'The ladies will be safe if the ransoms can be
paid; and as for myself, Andreas is cleverer than
the Englishmen.'  A sweet smile parted the
faithful Indian's lips, and Carlo, who had often
experienced this same boasted cleverness, believed
him.  'And when Andreas returns he will look
after the ladies; but for yourself, Señorito, there is
great danger.  They are bent upon finding you,
and Coca the negro saw you, and betrayed you to
the Frenchman for a sum of money.'

This plan seemed the only one that could suggest
itself to the two bold spirits.  Harry Fenn's
retreat could not long be kept a secret, as he must
have food taken to him, and every visit to the tree
of refuge made the discovery either by dogs or men
more probable.  What Andreas did not reveal,
however, to Carlo was that for him this expedition
was almost sure to lead to harm.  His absence was
certain to be discovered or betrayed, even though
he meant to arrange during his absence for the
well-being of the cattle under his charge; and if
discovered Andreas knew that his life would be
taken.  He had faced the question, and had accepted
the danger, for his love for Carlo was stronger than
any fear of death.

Carlo explained what had been decided upon,
and though Felipa and Catalina both cried at the
idea of the separation, Doña Elena saw that this
plan was the only one which gave her nephew
a chance of safety.

'Ah, Andreas, God will reward you,' she said,
taking the Indian's hand in hers; 'for we poor
captives can but give you thanks.'

Etta, who had been listening to all this, now
added anxiously:

'But, dear Carlo, suppose Andreas does not
return, how can we ever find you or Harry?'

'I will tell you, Señora,' said Andreas.  'You
are right to ask, for the island has no name for the
white men, and I never myself knew of a ship that
stopped there.  Give me some paper.'

Taking the parchment-like pith, which was all
the prisoners could procure to write on, Andreas
roughly marked out with a thorn the position of
the island with regard to its distance from
St. Catherine, making clever indications to show
where dangerous rocks were to be found, and on
which side the island could be approached.

'Keep that by you, Señorita, and if you can
get away in a big ship, the Captain will understand
where to find the Señor Carlo.'  He then made
his Indian salutation and departed, saying he had
much to do before the next sunset, and that if all
were well he would come and fetch the Señor
Carlo the next evening; but, till then, he advised
great care, for fear of discovery.

It was, indeed, a very anxious day the family
spent, but also a busy one.  Felipa made a little
needle-book for her brother; Etta plaited him a
basket; and Catalina did up two blankets in as
small a bundle as was possible: whilst Doña
Elena unsewed some gold pieces she had secreted
about her, and made a belt for Carlo, in which
she hid this money, in case they sighted a ship
and needed provisions or passage-money.  Then,
lastly, when the soldier's visit was over, and they
had heard from him that the dog-hunt had not
been successful, for the animals had lost the scent:
but they meant to go again when the moon rose,
being sure the young rascal was hidden somewhere
in the woods, for a negro had seen him with his
own eyes--then at last Carlo came out of his
dismal hiding-place, and all together the prisoners
earnestly prayed for a safe journey, and that God
would save them out of the hands of their enemies.
Felipa cried much as she kissed her brother, feeling
sure she would never see him again; and Etta sent
messages to Harry, saying he was not to forget her
if he went home to England, and to tell her uncle
of her; and, lastly, Catalina invoked every blessing
which every saint could give on her dear
foster-child.  Then came Andreas' call; he had done
wonders, having procured a boat, which he had
hidden in a creek right at the foot of Santa Teresa,
and where Harry now was awaiting them, hardly
daring to move for fear of making the slightest
noise and so attracting the guards.  And thus
once more, the friends were scattered.





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.. _`IN A LONELY SPOT`:

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   CHAPTER XIX.


.. class:: center medium

   IN A LONELY SPOT.

.. vspace:: 2

The dark night happily favoured them;
and what was also in their favour was
the fact that Sieur Simon's boat lay at
anchor, and his hoys had been plying
backwards and forwards all the afternoon, making
the men on guard pay but little attention to the
gentle plash of the oars as Andreas and Harry
sent the long boat shooting off into the bay.  One
thought distressed the faithful Andreas: he had
done his best to lay in a store of food, but he knew
it was a very inadequate provision if the boys were
to be left long in the desert island.

No one spoke for some time; then, when they
had safely passed the ship, and were well out to
sea, they had plenty to say to each other.  Harry
told how he had heard the baying of the dogs
from his hiding-place; how they had come nearer
and nearer, and he had felt a strange horror, which
nothing else had ever given him before, at the idea
of being torn in pieces by those blood-thirsty
animals; then how the sounds had told him the
dogs were close at hand, the shouting and yelling
negroes urging them on, and the pirates mingling
oaths with these cries as they were entangled in
the scrub or the mangrove branches.  Yes, and
at last they had come close by, up to the foot of
the tree, and had paused there as the baying dogs
rushed round and round undecided, till one of them
had evidently scented out the trail made by Andreas,
and the negroes had hunted the dogs forward.
Harry's face as he told the story still bore traces
of the terrible ordeal he had passed through
during those few moments of intense suspense.

'I fancied before that I was brave, but I only
know that when I heard those evil beasts I had no
more courage left in me than a zany at a village
fair; and when they had passed by, I lay on the
floor of my hiding-place as if I were already dead.
I have never before been in such dire terror of my
life; but in truth such barbarous ways are not
honest warfare.'

'Yet I saw my father hunted down by wild
dogs,' said Andreas, on whom this fact had made
a lasting impression; and Carlo looked grave, for he
knew well enough that his people it was who had
perpetrated such cruelties on the gentle Indians, and
that Spain would ever have to bear the shame of
the first cruelties in the New World--cruelties
which other nations had not been slow to adopt;
till the black plague-spot had spread all over the
fair lands and the newly discovered islands.

All night they rowed hard, and when daylight
came, and with it all the glory of the tropical
sunrise, St. Catherine was no longer in sight; and
unless any other knew the secret of the desert
island and betrayed the knowledge to Sieur Simon,
they were saved.  Each in his own heart thanked God.

Harry's face began to recover its more cheerful
expression: he was not leaving his loved ones as
was Carlo; but was this journey bringing him much
nearer his own home?

'When shall we sight this place?' asked Carlo
wearily, when the sun beating down on their heads
reminded him that he was now not nearly as
strong as before his illness; 'and what do you call it,
Andreas?  It seems as if we were going to a land
of nowhere.'

'It has no name known to the white men,
Señor; but my father, who took me there when I
was a boy, always called it by an Indian name
which meant "Queen of the Water," because of the
one tall Jagua palm-tree which stands high and
solitary on it, and can be seen from a long distance.'

'Then we are already in sight,' said Harry
suddenly.  'Look, Andreas, there, right ahead!
You have come straight as an arrow.'

This welcome news gave them fresh courage,
and on they sped.  Nearer and nearer they came;
they could now discern the wild scrub bordering
the sand on which the surf painted a long line
of white foam; they could see the motion of the
leaves as the soft breeze disturbed the luxuriant
undergrowth; but suddenly Andreas, standing up,
dropped his oar from sheer surprise.

'Queen of the Water is not a desert island now!'
he said.  'Look, Señor!'

The boys also gazed now at the shore; and there,
sure enough, on a small rock that jutted out into
the sea, they saw a weird-looking figure walking
slowly up and down, and waving long thin arms as
if to warn off the intruders.  The man, who hardly
looked human even from this distance, appeared to
be intent only on this one action; and so strange
did it seem, that the three looked at each other
with the same question expressed on their faces,
and this was, 'Shall we land?'

.. vspace:: 2

.. _`'SHALL WE LAND?'`:

.. class:: center large

   [Illustration: "*SHALL WE LAND?*" (missing from book)]

.. vspace:: 2

'If there is one man there may be more,' said
Carlo, in despair; 'but I can row no more.  We
may as well be killed here as go on to another
island and die by the way.'

'He is no Indian, but a white man,' remarked
Andreas, again scanning the rock; 'his beard is long,
and his hair too.  He either wishes us ill, or wishes
to warn us from some danger; and yet I never
heard of any one living here.  This is indeed a
misfortune.'

'Well, we must risk it,' said Harry, seeing
Carlo was looking terribly white and done up; 'and
I think if we run the boat in here, at our right
hand, that old fellow will not come up with us till
we are well landed, for he will have nigh upon a
mile to walk.  If I'm not right, you may call me
an ass for my pains, Carlo.'

Andreas approved, and presently they were
obliged to keep all their wits sharp in order to
enter the semicircular harbour, for there was some
danger in getting the boat through the tumbling
surf.  But the Indian was too well accustomed to
landing a boat to come to grief, and very soon the
three stood on firm land; and after dragging up
the boat out of reach of the waves, they looked
anxiously around their new home.  Near them,
above the low cliff, was a clearing made by nature,
where grew bananas, cacao, and bois-immortel,
among which could also be seen a few orange-trees
and Avocado pears; so that there was no fear
of dying of thirst.  But what interested them most
was the strange weird figure, who, instead of
following them, still kept on the same rock, and still
waved his arms as if warding off some visible
enemy.  Andreas gazed a few minutes in silence;
then all at once his eyes lighted up.

'It is no enemy: it must be a poor man whom
the pirates have brought here.  That is their
fashion.  I have heard them speak of it.  They
land some one who has offended them, and leave
him to die alone; though often they will give him a
musket and a little powder.'

'Then I should say that poor man is mad,' said
Harry.  'If so, he may be more dangerous than a
pirate.  But look, Andreas; if the pirates have been
once they may come again.'

'No, not for many a long day; they must have
sighted this desert island by chance, and landed
this poor man here, knowing it was uninhabited.'

'Well, I will go and see what I can make of
him,' said Harry, 'whilst you get a rest, Carlo; for
you must not be ill here, and Andreas will begin
unloading the boat.'

'Take care, Harry,' cried Carlo; 'nay, wait: I
will come with you--I can't bear you to run the
risk alone.'

'I have been through so many perilous scrapes
that one more or less makes but little difference.
Still, come along, Señorito, we may perhaps make
the poor man forget his troubles.'

So the two walked slowly along the shore till
they came within a few yards of the weird figure;
and Harry, wishing to attract his attention, called
out to him and asked him what he did there.
Then the figure paused, and gazed at the
new-comers as if they were an unfamiliar sight, and
began muttering through his long grey beard
Spanish words of no meaning.

'Señor Carlo, this poor fellow is a Spaniard;
but I see no sign of a musket.  Speak to him, and
ask him where he sleeps, and why he is here.'

Carlo began very courteously to inquire how
the stranger had reached the island, as no boat was
in sight; but suddenly he stopped short in his
sentence, and clung wildly to Harry.

'Harry, Harry Fenn, look again, that man is--can
you not see?  It is my father; and yet I hardly
knew him.  See the ring on his finger?'  Harry
would certainly not have recognised the Marquis,
whom he had seen but little of; but in his
astonishment he called out his name.

'The Señor Estevan del Campo!  Surely it
cannot be!  Gracious Heaven!'

'Yes, yes,' said the poor man, 'that is my
name.  Who called me?  Yes, yes, Estevan del Campo!'

'Oh, sir, here is your son,' said Harry; and then
Carlo, summoning up his courage, rushed toward
his poor father and knelt by his side.

'Father, father, do you not know me?  I am
Carlo, your son.  Forgive me if I ever spoke harshly,
father.'

'Carlo my son?  No, no, I have no son, no country.
Don't let any one come here to find out my
hiding-place; I warn them off.  The pirates left me here;
that was the kindest thing they did for me.  I have
no name, no titles.  Don't tell any one where I am.
What do they call it?--marooning--they marooned
me, left me to die alone.  It was their kindness; I
bear them no grudge for doing that.  No name, no
country!'

'No, no,' cried Carlo; 'we will take care of you,
father; you shall not die alone.'  And turning his
arm round the poor thin arm of his father, Carlo
dragged him forward; and Harry, following behind,
wiped away a few tears from his eyes; for it was
indeed a sight to have touched the hardest heart.
But evidently the poor Marquis was out of his
mind and had not much longer to live.

The sound of human voices seemed to soothe
him after a time; and when they reached the shade
of the grove where Andreas had set out some food
for the travellers, he was no longer muttering his
few sentences.  The surprise of the Indian can easily
be imagined, and the poor fellow's pity for his old
master was quite touching to witness, even though
he had never received much kindness at his hands.
Little by little the Marquis began to take in dimly
that Carlo was with him, and to accept the services
of Andreas as he waited on him; but though not
actually starved, he had taken but little trouble to
collect food, and the horror of loneliness and
shame at his past treason seemed to have done the
work of years.  Carlo, who had all along been
feeling a grudge against his father, could now
forgive and forget everything.

'Oh, Andreas, how fortunate it was that you
brought us here!  Stay with us now, and do not go
back to St. Catherine: I am so much afraid that
your absence will be discovered, and then----  Do
stay, and let us share our misfortunes and our luck.'

It was a great temptation to Andreas, and for
a few moments he brooded in silence over the
proposal; but he had learnt Christianity in a
way not understood by many Christians.  He
considered that if he stayed he would certainly
save himself, but if he returned he might help to
save the poor ladies, who had now no protectors;
and Andreas knew that the word of a pirate was
but a poor thing to trust in.  He believed that he
could help them, and anyhow he could give them
the knowledge that Carlo was safe and that the
Marquis was found.  What did his life matter?  Had
not the Padre told him these words: 'Greater love
hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life
for his friends,' and to the poor Indian the words
were simple and powerful, and to be, if needs
were, carried out literally.  It took him but a few
moments to make up his mind.

'Andreas must go back,' he said, smiling, now
his decision was made; 'for the Señora and the
Señorita will want to know the good news, and
they may want also to come to the Queen of the
Water.  Andreas loves Señor Carlo dearly, but he
will go away first and then come again.'

So towards evening, several hours before the
sun set, Andreas was escorted to the boat, while
the boys helped to push it off from the shore, and
the Marquis stood by once more as if he were
giving orders, though he merely said, 'Tell them,
Andreas, that I did it for the best.  The rascals
deceived me.  Tell them that, Andreas, and don't
let my little Felipa think badly of me.'





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.. _`SAVED`:

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   CHAPTER XX


.. class:: center medium

   SAVED.

.. vspace:: 2

Captain Morgan had sent word
from Jamaica, whither he had gone
after the taking of Panama, that he
might be expected in a few days at
St. Catherine, as he was going to fortify it against any
future attack of the Spaniards.  The Captain had
taken the lion's share of the booty, and, finding the
loud murmurs of the men to be more than
disagreeable, he set sail one evening and left the fleet
to do as it thought best.  Still, he was anxious to
get back to St. Catherine to conclude his ransoms,
and Sieur Simon had been instructed to watch
closely that none of the prisoners escaped.  What
was, then, Simon's rage at finding that not only
Carlo, but that young viper, as he called him, Harry
Fenn, had escaped in the night, and that Andreas
the Indian had carried out the whole plan.
Unfortunately, the negro whom Andreas had trusted
had turned informer, fearing when the Indian
came back he might suffer punishment.

The negro only escaped instant hanging by
promising to betray Andreas on his return, and the
better to secure this he was to meet him and tell
him nothing had been discovered.  'As to the
hiding-place of the vipers,' said Simon,' a little of
the rack will make the Indian disclose it; for if
Captain Morgan comes and finds out the truth he
may make me answerable.'  To vent his wrath on
some one, Simon marched up into the presence of
the ladies and told them all he knew, and his future
intentions.  He forbade them ever to leave the two
rooms set apart for them, placed guards in the
corridor, and one below the window to which Carlo
and Harry had obtained access.  There seemed
no hope now left them of escape, and they could
only wait most anxiously for any scrap of news
which might leak out through the very ill-tempered
guards Simon had placed near them.  Etta alone
would not give in to low spirits: she felt sure that
Andreas would return and would let them know;
and as she could not go and watch by the window
in the corridor as formerly, she kept a good
lookout from the sitting-room verandah.  She was
indeed the sunshine of the party; for Felipa had
drooped again now that Carlo was gone, and Doña
Elena was hardly equal to more exertion and
disappointment.  Catalina would speak of the
good old time when she had first come to the
island, and when Felipa had been treated as
became her rank.  She even began to turn against
Etta, as being of the same race as the hated
Morgan.  But Etta would not despair nor give up
hope; and so it happened that one day at sundown
she heard Andreas' soft whistle below.

'Felipa, dear Felipa, listen: that is Andreas!
There!  Did I not say he would come back?  It
is so dark that I cannot see him.  What shall we
do, Doña Elena? for the good man will not
understand he must not come up here.'

They all crept on to the balcony now and listened
intently, but the sound died away; and just as they
were beginning again to despair there was a knock
at the door and the negro Coca entered, bowing
very humbly before them as he presented a letter
to Doña Elena.

'Andreas is not able to come himself, lady,
but he sends letter, and wants answer.'

Doña Elena opened the parchment quickly; but
Etta, who was looking on, said hurriedly:

'How did the guards let you pass if they will
not allow Andreas to have speech with us?'

'I was very cunning, Señorita: I said that I
had great news to give the Señora.'

Etta, still puzzled, listened to the words of the
note, which Doña Elena translated into French so
that the negro should not understand.

.. vspace:: 2

'The Señor Carlo and the Señor Harry are
safe.  They have found the noble father.  I cannot
see you yet.  God protect you!

'ANDREAS.'

.. vspace:: 2

'Andreas waits for answer,' said the negro.

'Do not send one, Doña Elena,' cried Etta
quickly, in spite of herself suspecting some plot; for
what answer should Andreas require?  He could
hear for himself that they were safe, but Felipa
said pettishly:

'Nay but, dear aunt, send him word that he
must get us delivered from this prison; I am
weary of being shut up.'

Doña Elena, thinking of no harm, yielded; and
soon the negro retired, grinning as he again bowed
low.

'I never can like those black creatures,' said
Catalina, turning up her nose in disgust.  'Indians
are all very well; but negroes--no, no, Señora, you
should never trust a negro.'

'Nonsense, Catalina!  My dear husband said
it was because we treated the negroes so badly
that they were sometimes treacherous.  Alas! we
Spaniards have much to answer for in that
respect.'

Catalina was not convinced, and kept on
muttering that Andreas might be trusted because his
colour was brown, but that black was the colour
of the Evil One.  Could she have seen what was
going on below she might, perhaps, have made
even the enlightened Señora agree with her.  The
negro had taken the note straight to the Sieur
Simon, and in a few minutes more Andreas was
seized and dragged into his presence, and
confronted with it.  The Indian saw that the negro
had betrayed his trust, and, setting his teeth tight
together, he stood before his enemy silent and
brave.

'Tell me, dog of an Indian, where thou hast
been, and where thou hast hidden those young
whelps,' said Simon, angrily.  But Andreas was not
going to tell him.

'As well answer, for I know everything; the
negro has told me; and if thou ownest thy fault I
will forgive thee,' said Simon.  But Andreas felt
sure this was a trap: no one knew the retreat of
Señor Carlo--no one at least at St. Catherine.

'Come, my men, here is a dumb dog: see if a
little torture will worm out the secret.'

We must draw the veil over the horrible
torments which noble Andreas endured.  It was a
cruel age, but the desperate men who had broken
loose from their country, their religion, and their
laws outdid all the cruelties of the age, and fancied
because the poor defenceless Indians could not now
revenge themselves they were fair game.  When
nature could bear no more, and the half-dead man
was thrown into a dungeon, not a word having
been extracted from him, Sieur Simon was rather
sorry he had ordered the torturers to go on to such
a length, for now it was doubtful if he could ever
get any information from him, and he had been
told that Andreas knew many valuable secrets
which would now most likely die with him.

That night the pirates had a long carousal,
because they knew that next day Captain Morgan
was expected back, and when he came the good
things generally disappeared; so Sieur Simon
suddenly bethought himself that most likely there
must be treasure hidden away somewhere or other
in Santa Teresa.  He dared not touch Doña
Elena or Felipa--they were able to pay rich
ransoms; but his mind turned at once to Etta, the
English girl, who was, of course, merely a slave of
the Marquis.  Yes, she might know, and if--well,
if--anything happened to her, no one would care
much, and certainly no one would inquire, except
Captain Morgan, who had said the English girl was
to be cared for; but he would not grieve much
about any one who could not bring him in any money.

'Go up, Nat Salt,' he said to an Englishman
'and fetch down that English wench.  I would
wager a goblet of wine that she knows where the
old Marquis kept his treasures.'

'By'r laykin,' said Nat Salt, 'that little cinder
witch was rather a favourite with the Captain.
It'll not be safe to meddle with her over-much.'

'Nay, I will but make her feel the rope trick
round her wrist, and I'll pledge you a flagon of red
wine we shall then know all she does.'

'There'll be naught more, then, Sieur Simon, or
I would rather not meddle in it; the Captain now
and then loses his temper over a mighty small affair.'

'My word as a brother,' said Simon, using the
term by which pirates called each other when they
were in a good temper.

Nat knew that even Simon would not break
his oath, but he said the morning would be more
convenient for Etta's examination; so that the poor
girl fell asleep without dreaming what was in store
for her the next day.

Once again Etta was to go down into the great
hall, where now only Sieur Simon was sitting, and
she was to be tried in a far harder way even than
by hunger.  When the man called Nat Salt came
to fetch her, Felipa seemed to guess that something
was the matter, for she clung to her friend, crying out:

'Don't take Etta away.  Catalina, Aunt Elena,
don't let the wicked man take her.  Why is she to go?'

'Prithee, young madam, don't take it to heart;
this English girl is but wanted to answer a few
questions.'  But Etta, though pale, would not show
any fear even while her heart sank within her.

'I will follow you an you touch me not,' she
said, raising her fair head loftily.

'In truth I'll not touch thee, young one,' said
Nat Salt, who had a curiously soft heart,
considering what he had seen and done.  'Come then, it
will not be ten minutes' work.  But mind! don't
go acting the dumb dog before that Frenchman;
I'fecks, he's as hard as a millstone on man,
woman, or child--Morgan's an angel to him.'

As they passed out the two soldiers guarding
the door stared hard at the girl, who walked by
Nat's side as if she were a princess.

'There's a bit of sunshine in the wench's hair,'
said one of them, 'but it will go hard with her if
she is to get into the hands of the dragon.'

Poor Etta! it was to go hard with her.

'Come, child, make haste and tell me what I
ask, and then you can go back to your friends,' said
Simon.  'Where did the Marquis hide his gold
before Morgan landed?  He must surely have been
busy over that work.'

Etta lifted her pretty head, and gazed at the
Frenchman with indignant blue eyes.

'As if I should tell the secrets of the Marquis
to you!' she said quickly.

'Ah! so you are not going to tell--for of
course you know?' and he laughed softly.

'English girls don't tell tales,' said Etta.

'Well, we'll see.  Come, Nat, where's the rope?
A little pressure on the wrists acts to the tongue
like oil to rusty hinges.'

Etta saw the rope, and some of her courage forsook
her.  She tried to run past Nat, but with one
stride he caught her, and, twisting the rope round
both her wrists in a peculiar fashion, he began
pulling the noose tight, then tighter.  Etta shut her eyes
and thought of Carlo and of Harry.  She knew the
Marquis had hidden some of the gold in an old
well, under the flags of the inner courtyard, but
she did not mean to tell.  God helping her, she
would not be a traitor.

'Now,' said Simon, 'draw it tight, Nat, and see
if that won't make her speak.  Where is the gold,
girl?  Quick, and you shall be released.  One,
two--where?  Pull tighter, Nat.'

Etta, in spite of herself, uttered a scream, shrill
and piercing, which made Simon laugh.

'I thought the bird would pipe to some tune.
Come, Nat, a little tighter.  Where is the gold?'

'It is not mine: how can I tell?  I won't! no, I
won't!  It's Carlo's money if his father is dead.
Oh!'  She struggled to get away, but this only
increased her agony.

'One, two, three; it will hurt more yet if you
don't speak.'

'Come, tell Sieur Simon, wench.  You'll not
see the Marquis till Martinmas, if then, so you
needn't be afraid of him.'

Another pull, another sharp agony, and Etta
felt that she could bear no more, when suddenly
there was a rush into the hall of some half-dozen
men, all shouting and tumbling over each other,
and looking scared out of their lives.

Nat immediately let go Etta in sheer astonishment,
whilst Simon seized hold of the foremost
man and asked him roughly what was the matter.

'I'faith, Captain, you may well ask; there's not
a minute to spare.  There's a great man-of-war
flying the English colours bearing down on us and
on the two ships in the bay, which have but some
half-dozen men in them.'

'Where's the powder?' cried another; 'the
look-out man must have deserted.  Gramercy! let's
get out of this gruesome hole, for the walls
have never been rebuilt, and we handful of men
can't hold it.'

'Then we'll put you idle fellows to stop the
breach,' cried Simon, angrily.  'Here, Nat, haste
and warn the rest of the garrison.  We must get
down to the beach and prevent their landing.  The
forts are useless, and that coxcomb Morgan dropped
the guns into the sea before he left.'

In another moment all was confusion, and the
men had scattered hither and thither.  Etta had
suddenly recovered her presence of mind as soon
as her great pain had ceased; in a moment she
understood the situation.  She now ran as quickly
as she could up another passage towards the
sitting-room.  On the way she met the two guards,
who, having just heard the news, were running
helter-skelter over each other to get down to the
courtyard and join their companions.

'There's a man-o'-war bearing down on us!
Marry! there'll not be a man Jack of us left alive!'

Etta found that the confusion had spread everywhere;
for as she rushed into the dwelling-room
no one prevented her.

'Catalina!  Felipa! free me; prithee cut this
dreadful rope.  There's an English man-of-war in
sight; and if only it will put in we are saved.'

'My poor child!' said Doña Elena, with tears in
her eyes; for, the rope being cut, the deep red
gashes round Etta's wrists told plainly what she had
suffered.  But Etta was now too much excited to
feel any pain.  She knew that immediate action
was necessary; if only she could find Andreas
perhaps he would put off to the ship in his canoe.
But where was he?  She went to the balcony, as
no one was guarding it now, and whistled the
Indian's tune; but there was no answer.

Catalina and Doña Elena, on their side, went to
the window that commanded the bay; and there,
sure enough, could be seen the big man-of-war
slowly approaching, and so great was the panic
among the pirates, who were only expecting Captain
Morgan, that there was a furious rush for the boats;
believing, as they did, that the Marquis was on
board, and that on his landing not one of them
would be spared.

In the meanwhile Santa Teresa was almost
deserted, except by the slaves; and to one of these
Etta addressed herself as to where she could find
Andreas, and was led to the black-hole, where the
poor fellow lay only just conscious.

'Andreas! dear Andreas!' sobbed Etta.  'Those
cruel men--what have they done to you?  But we
are saved now.  Catalina shall come and nurse
you.  Say you are not suffering!  Lack-a-day!'

Old Pedro, who had managed successfully to
trim his sails, now ran up, exclaiming:

'Thank God! thank God!  Señora, the pirates
are running off as if a thousand devils were at their
heels.  They say the Marquis is on board the
man-of-war, but I know not; anyhow, let's secure
our own gates.  Ah! poor Andreas had better
have told all he knew; I did, and managed to keep
a whole skin.'

'Then, Pedro, take a boat and go and tell the
Captain that he must come and take us away, and
that I know where Señor Carlo and the English
lad are hidden.  Andreas, look up; tell me, are
you in pain?'

But before Catalina or any one else could come,
Andreas smiled happily, tried to speak; then, with
a gentle sigh, he died.  He had understood that
those he had died for were saved, and that reward
was enough for him.

Before long St. Catherine was rid of the
pirates, for the man-of-war had brought with it, not
Don Estevan del Campo, but the new Governor
of Jamaica, who came to dispossess the former
Governor who had abetted the pirates; for King
Charles of England was now sending strict orders
that no buccaneer was to be allowed to set forth
from Jamaica to commit any hostility upon the
Spanish nation or any of the people of these islands,
and on his way to Jamaica the new Governor wished
to sweep clean of its pirates the little island of
St. Catherine.





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.. _`A BAG OF GOLD`:

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   CHAPTER XXI.


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   A BAG OF GOLD.

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The Pitsea Manor Farm was a dull place
enough now, even though the beautiful
sunshine made Nature look at her best
on this September afternoon; but
Mr. Fenn and his wife seemed to have no longer any
heart left for joy, and they had settled that there was
to be no harvest-home on the farm, for ever since
the disappearance of their son the worthy couple
could do nothing but mourn.  They had indeed
gone through terrible sorrow, and their only comfort
had been the long talks Mr. Aylett had had with
them, and his firm belief that Harry had not run
away, as the lad said he had once thought of doing,
but that he had in truth been kidnapped.

Mr. Aylett, being the brother of a rich squire, had
powerful friends, and he had done all in his power
to find out news of Harry; but in those days news
travelled but slowly; and though much was guessed,
the truth had never been exactly ascertained.

At this moment Mr. Aylett was seen by the
worthy Fenns to be walking towards the farm,
and very soon he was sitting by the sad-looking
yeoman in the great farm-hall, beginning as usual
to talk of Harry.

'I've told the men I'll have naught to do with
a harvest-home,' said Mr. Fenn, decidedly.  'I'll give
them money for the feast, and they may go and
dance their round reels on the green; but, now my
poor boy is dead, I care not for sounds of music, and
joy does but make me dizzy.'

'And yet the Bible tells us to "rejoice always,"
good neighbour,' said Mr. Aylett.  'Is it right to
deprive others of joy when God has taken ours from
us?  Is not this somewhat selfish grief, and
displeasing to God?'

'It is my whim, Mr. Aylett.  I cannot feel
like Job, for when I see the lads a-merrymaking I
think of my poor Harry's goodly countenance, and
my heart seems like to break.'

'The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away,'
said Mrs. Fenn gently--'so I tell Mr. Fenn; but
such an ado I have to be a-comforting him that
sometimes I forget my own sore grief.  It's a wonder
I ever lived through that time; and now when I sit
in a quiet coigne I fancy I'm another woman and
in truth not Harry's mother.  At this harvest-time
I think of the new doublet I had always ready for
him, and how handsome he looked.  Lack-a-day!'

'Tut, tut, woman!' said her husband, who liked
to think his grief was the greatest, 'the lad was more
to me than to thee.  You know how he would
follow me about when he could but just toddle.  Ay,
ay, Mr. Aylett, you too know what he was like.  It
was a sight to see him riding about the farm; and
now there's no one of my name as will inherit this
place.  And as for my cousin who has an eye to the
place, i' faith he's but a poor creature--ay, a paltry
ass.'

'The Lord can bring back your boy,' said the
clergyman, with a quiet assurance that appeared
to be galling to the yeoman.

'I said naught to the contrary, Mr. Aylett; but
there's a sight of things that the Lord could do as
never happen in this world; and my boy's dead--I
know it; and meseems, in truth, it's folly thinking
on it longer.'

''Tis much lacking in faith, good Mr. Fenn, that
you are.  For my part, I believe Harry will come
home, and----'  But here the keener-witted mother
started up and called out:

'Mr. Aylett's heard news of Harry!  Speak
out, sir, or this old heart will break; for my head
feels dizzy.  Speak out, sir, for God's sake!'  And
Mr. Aylett now saw that he had sufficiently prepared the
old people for the joy that he had to tell them, and,
standing up reverently, he said:

'Ay, ay, good friends, God's name be praised!
Harry is safe and sound, and has a long and
wonderful story to tell you.'

'But where is he--oh, my boy! my boy!  You're
not deceiving me, Mr. Aylett, else God have mercy
on you!'

'God forbid!  Harry is in my house--brought
here by a Captain Carew himself; and with him is
come an English maid who was a fellow-prisoner in
the West Indies.  But I must tell no tales, and I
bade him follow me anon--and, ay, look you,
there he is, so I'll leave you to hear his own story,
and go back to the maid, to whom my wife has
taken a huge fancy already, for there is as much
sunlight in her eyes as there is gold in our autumn
corn; and, indeed, hers is as strange a history as you
could find even in tales of our Chaucer.'

We must leave Harry to tell his own wonderful
adventures, but Etta had already recounted to
Mr. and Mrs. Aylett how Captain Carew had been
kindness itself to the prisoners of Santa Teresa when he
landed at St. Catherine, and how he had taken all
the party on board, and, after landing the new
Governor at Jamaica, had gone to the island where
Carlo and Harry Fenn had been left, helped to
find it by the rude chart which Andreas had drawn.
It can be easily understood how happy was the
meeting, and how Doña Elena landed to see her
brother's grave, and heard how he had died in
Carlo's arms.  Then, last, Captain Carew had
taken them all on board again, and had landed the
Spaniards in Spain, and Etta had been comforted
at the loss of Felipa by Carlo's saying that she
must come some day as an honoured guest to his
home; that when he was a man he would travel
to England, as he meant to be a Spanish
Ambassador at the Court of King Charles.  Then how
excited she had been when she first beheld the
shores of England, and knew that she was indeed
no longer a prisoner, but a free English girl.
Captain Carew, having relations of his own near
South Benfleet, had himself taken the young
people to Mr. Aylett, as Harry, now thoughtful
beyond his years, knew that his sudden
reappearance at home might cause too great a shock
to his parents; besides, he thought Mr. Aylett could
best judge what was to be done about finding Etta
Allison's relations.

You can all imagine the joy of the homecoming;
but I must add that there was a grand
harvest-home that year at Pitsea Manor Farm, and
such joy as never had been.  What made it seem
so wonderful to Harry was that Etta was there,
dressed in a pretty gown of white *sémé*; and that
he led off the country dance with her; and that
her sweet, brave face made the whole hall appear
merry; for, as Mrs. Fenn said, 'all could see Etta
was dancing a very Barley Bree o' mirth.'

Her uncle had been found, and had come over
to see her; but, being an old bachelor, he was
glad enough to pay a yearly sum to Mrs. Aylett,
and to let her stay with that excellent lady;
saying he should leave her all his money, and
stipulating that she was to pay him yearly visits.
No wonder Etta was happy as she danced with
Harry, or told stories of the past.

----

Will you like to hear something more, and can
you guess that when Harry Fenn married, his bride
was Etta Allison?  And Carlo del Campo was, in
truth, present, as he had really joined the
Embassy--though he was not yet Ambassador--but he said
at the wedding that he owed his success to Etta,
who had taught him English.  Poor Felipa died
just before Carlo's journey.  She had never
recovered the effects of all the hardships and sorrows
she had gone through; but before her death she
sent some of her jewels to her dear Etta, and
begged her not to forget her; which, as Etta's heart
was big, she was not likely to do.  You can imagine
what talks they all had together; and perhaps the
most wonderful piece of news that Harry told Don
Carlo was that Captain Henry Morgan had now
turned over a new leaf, and that the King had
knighted him, and made him Governor of Jamaica;
and that, wonderful to relate, he was now called
Sir Henry Morgan, a brave and loyal gentleman.
Truly it was a case of 'set a thief to catch a thief,'
for the pirates were now no longer tolerated in
Jamaica; and Sir Henry was said to be vastly
clever at hunting them down.

Some years later, when there were happy
children running about the old Pitsea farmhouse,
there came a mysterious visitor to Benfleet.  He
gave no name, but wished to see Harry Fenn, who
was now the owner of the farm; and when he was
gone, Harry called his pretty wife Etta, who was
all curiosity to know what the visitor wanted; and
then he showed her a large bag, full of gold
pieces--such a sum and such a glittering mass as Etta and
Harry had never seen all at once before in their
lives; and on a piece of parchment was written:

'For my godson Harry Fenn: a marriage
portion for him and the little witch, albeit they
were so ungrateful and unmindful of their
well-wisher, Sir Henry Morgan.'

The gold pieces were of every nationality, and
from every recognised mint; and some of them
looked as if they had been kept many years in
secret hiding-places known only to Sir Henry Morgan.

'This money,' said Harry, 'is, if I mistake not,
gold that was stolen in Sir Henry Morgan's raids.
What think you, sweetheart?  I like not the colour
of it; and these adventures brought me but one
gold coin of true ring in it, and that was my own
wee wife.'

'For shame, Harry,' laughed Etta, 'to liken me
to gold, which the Bible calls the root of all evil!
But why not give it to Mr. Aylett for the poor on
Canvey Island?  Thou knowest, dear Harry, that
there are many in need there, round about the little
Church of St. Catherine; and if it goes to the service
of that church it will remind us of all our troubles
on the other St. Catherine; and remind us, too,
not to forget to be grateful to God for our past
deliverance.'

'A right good thought, sweetheart!  And what
say you to putting up a stained glass window of
St. Catherine herself?  And beside the wheel we will
place a cord in her hand, which will be in memory
of the cruel knot of which you still bear the marks.'

'For shame, Harry!  Nay, I was no saint.
Why, if Captain Carew had not come in the nick
of time, I should, perhaps, have told everything I
knew.  There, put up the gold pieces in their bag--I
cannot abide the sight of them; but Mr. Aylett
will say, I am sure, that God can, and He will,
sanctify even stolen treasure.'

And so out of evil they brought forth good,
as all can do who set their minds to it.  But that
evening, when Mr. Aylett, with much surprise,
received the gold, he asked Harry, laughingly, if he
were of the same mind as of old, and if he would
still like to wander forth.

'If Etta would come too, I would not mind
seeing those beautiful lands again,' he said.  'But,
what with mother and the children, I know right
well she will not travel again for many a long year.'

'Prithee, then, go alone, Harry, an it please
you,' said his wife; and as Harry shook his head
in a very determined fashion, Etta Fenn fell
a-laughing softly, knowing well that her husband
would never leave her for all the gold of the West
Indies.

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   FINIS

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A story of life in domestic service at Langhope Mead, with some
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   BY THE AUTHOR OF "STARWOOD HALL"

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A tale of adventure four hundred years ago.  The scene is laid
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   BY M. & C. LEE

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   ST. DUNSTAN'S FAIR

By M. & C. LEE, Authors of "The Family Coach," &c.  With
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"St. Dunstan's Fair" tells of the folks living in a small country
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grandfather, Mr. Openshaw, and of the part played by the two children,
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   BY MARY H. DEBENHAM

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   MOOR AND MOSS

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   BY M. BRAMSTON

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The adventures in question are those of Denis Lyndale while staying,
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   BY ESMÉ STUART

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   BY M. BRAMSTON

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   LOTTIE LEVISON

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   BY ESMÉ STUART

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went to live there, and of the circumstances under which they
became connected with a Royalist plot against the rule of Louis Philippe.
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to prove attractive alike to boys and girls.

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   In addition to the preceding, the following Prize
   Books are also published by the Society:--


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   BY CHARLOTTE M. YONGE

Author of "The Heir of Redclyffe," "Cameos from English History," &c..


.. vspace:: 3

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   THE CONSTABLE'S TOWER

Or, The Times of Magna Charta.  With Four Full-page
Illustrations by C. O. MURRAY.  Crown 8vo. bevelled boards,
cloth gilt, price 3s.

A tale of the days of Magna Charta, showing the nobility of the
character of Hubert de Burgh, and his loyalty to his king under very trying
circumstances, and concluding with a spirited description of the sea-tight
off Dover.

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   THE SLAVES OF SABINUS

With Five Full-page Illustrations by C. J. STANILAND.  Crown
8vo.  bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 3s. 6d.

A powerful story of the Christian Church in the days when Vespasian
was the Roman Emperor, and his more genial son Titus was freshly
returned from his conquest of the Jews.

"It is a story on a theme that draws all hearts--Christian faith and martyrdom in
the first century."--GUARDIAN.



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   THE CUNNING WOMAN'S GRANDSON

A Story of Cheddar a Hundred Years Ago.  With Five
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boards, cloth gilt, price 3s. 6d.

An attractive story of the social and religious improvements that wore
made in the Cheddar district through the philanthropic zeal of Miss
Hannah More and her sisters.



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   UNDER THE STORM

Or, Steadfast's Charge.  With Six Full-page Illustrations.
Crown 8vo.  bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 3s. 6d.

In "Under the Storm" the author of "The Heir of Redclyffe"
depicts the troublous experiences of the family of a small yeoman farmer
during the great Civil War.

"'Under the Storm' is in all respects worthy of the reputation of the author of 'The
Heir of Redclyffe.'"--SPECTATOR.



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   OUR NEW MISTRESS

Or, Changes at Brookfield Earl.  With Four Full-page
Illustrations by C. J. STANILAND.  Crown 8vo. bevelled boards,
cloth gilt, price 3s.

"Our New Mistress" depicts with much truth to life the difficulties
met with by a young trained schoolmistress in taking charge of a village
school where innovations were not welcomed.  Jessie Martin, however,
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"The Schoolmistress's story has just the dash of primness which makes it quite
perfect."--SPECTATOR.



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   BY FRANCES MARY PEARD

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.. class:: center small white-space-pre-line

   Author of "The Rose Garden," "The Country Cousin," 
   "Paul's Sister," &c.


.. vspace:: 3

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   THE ABBOT'S BRIDGE

With Five Full-page Illustrations by W. S. STAGEY.  Crown
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A story of life on the road in the time of Edward the Third, and of
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authorities at the Abbey.

"Miss Peard should find her popularity increased by 'The Abbot's Bridge.'  It
is a capital story, vigorously told."--MANCHESTER GUARDIAN.



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   THE LOCKED DESK

With Five Full-page Illustrations by W. S. STACEY.
8vo.  bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 3s. 6d.

In this book Miss Peard has left the historical field in which most of
her previous tales for young people have lain, giving us instead a story of
the present day, in which certain documents in Mrs. Barton's locked desk
play an important part.



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   THE BLUE DRAGON

With Five Full-page Illustrations by C. J. TANILAND.
8vo, bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 3s. 6d.

"The Blue Dragon" is the sign of an inn at Chester, where the scene
of the story is laid, in the discontented, turbulent times that followed
immediately upon the battle of Bosworth Field.

"Every page is full of stirring interest."--CHURCH TIMES.



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   SCAPEGRACE DICK

With Four Full-page Illustrations.  Crown 8vo. bevelled
boards, cloth gilt, price 3s. 6d.

A spirited story of adventure in England and the Low Countries in the
days of the Commonwealth.

"A book for boys, which will be read with equal pleasure by their
sisters."--PALL MALL GAZETTE.



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   PRENTICE HUGH

With Six Full-page Illustrations.  Crown 8vo. bevelled boards,
cloth gilt, price 3s. 6d.

"Prentice Hugh" gives a graphic account of life during the reign of
Edward the First, mainly in the cathedral city of Exeter.

"Another excellent book....  Both boys and girls will enjoy reading 'Prentice
Hugh'; it is in all respects one of the best books of the season."--ST.  AMES'S GAZETTE.



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   TO HORSE AND AWAY

With Five Full-page Illustrations by C. J. STANILAND.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 3s. 6d.

The fortunes of a Royalist family in the times of the Great Civil War
form the leading theme of Miss Peard's story, which, together with many
adventures, gives a few graphic scenes from the life of Charles II. in his
flight from Worcester Field.

"'To Horse and Away' will certainly give pleasure to girls and
boys-alike."--SATURDAY REVIEW.




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   BY THE AUTHOR OF "MADEMOISELLE MORI" &c.

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   KINSFOLK AND OTHERS

With Five Full-page Illustrations by C. O. MURRAY.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 3s. 6d.

A study in the conflicting duties that claim the obedience of Olive
Garth, who has been brought up from her earliest days by her
grandmother, and whose mother returns from Australia after an absence of
seventeen years.



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   BANNING AND BLESSING

With Five Full-page Illustrations by C. J. STANILAND.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 3s. 6d.

Descriptive of country life on the confines of wild Dartmoor, at the
beginning of the present century.  The banning of Lois Smerdon, the
black witch, at length comes to an end, and so plentiful are the blessings
which follow that all ends happily and full of promise for the future.

"A capital specimen of a book for girls."--SATURDAY REVIEW.



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   A LITTLE STEP-DAUGHTER

With Six Full-page Illustrations.  Crown 8vo. bevelled boards,
cloth gilt, price 3s. 6d.

"A Little Step-daughter" is descriptive of life in the South of France
in the early part of the eighteenth century.

"The anonymous authoress of 'Mademoiselle Mori' is one of the most delightful
of writers for girls.  Her books are characterised by
a delicacy of touch rarely met with."--STANDARD.



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   BY M. & C. LEE

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   Authors of "The Oak Staircase," "Joachim's Spectacles," &c.


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   THE FAMILY COACH

With Four Full-page Illustrations by J. F. WEEDON.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 3s.

A story of a family of children, their schemes and plans, and the
misfortunes that consequently ensue, in the course of a journey from
London to Mentone, where they are to meet their parents, who have just
returned from India.

"'The Family Coach' is as attractive within as without."--TIMES.



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   GOLDHANGER WOODS

A Child's Romance.  With Two Full-page Illustrations.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 2s.

"Goldhanger Woods" is the story of the romantic adventure of a
young girl a hundred years ago among a band of desperate smugglers.

"This 'child's romance' is ingeniously planned and well executed."--SPECTATOR.



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   MRS. DIMSDALE'S GRANDCHILDREN

With Four Full-page Illustrations by C. J. STANILAND.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 3s.

A large number of old Mrs. Dimsdale's grand children are gathered
together one Christmas time at the Downs House in Sussex.  Milly, in
emulation of Aunt Hetty, writes a play, and this receives a preliminary
public reading by Aunt Hetty.  Difficulties intervene, but everything comes
right in the end, and the story concludes with the acting of Milly's play.

"Full of stir and spirit."--GUARDIAN.




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   BY M. BRAMSTON

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   Author of "A Woman of Business," "Rosamond Ferrars," &c.


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   ABBY'S DISCOVERIES

With Three Full-page Illustrations by W. S. STAGEY.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 2s. 6d.

The story of the successive discoveries, in very ordinary matters, that
little Abigail made in her earliest years, and the meaning and lessons
which they have for all those concerned in bringing up the young.

"We have not seen a better book about the feelings and experiences of childhood
than this since we read the 'My Childhood' of Madame Michelet."--SPECTATOR.



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   A VILLAGE GENIUS

A True Story of Oberammergau.  With Two Full-page
Illustrations by J. F. WEEDON.  Crown 8vo. bevelled boards,
cloth gilt, price 2s.

A tale of Oberammergau and of the life of Rochus Dedler, the composer
of the music that is still used at the Passion Play there.  The true
story of a man who almost worshipped music, but was too tender and shy
ever to rise to the rank to which he was entitled.

"A sympathetic and charming sketch."--BOOKSELLER.



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   DANGEROUS JEWELS

With Four Full-page Illustrations by J. F. WEEDON.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 3s.

The opening scenes of this story are laid in Brittany at the time of the
great French Revolution, but the scene changes, and the later chapters
give some vivid descriptions of rough life in a lonely hut on the moorlands
of Devonshire.

"Plenty of stirring incident, and the scenes are novel and
unhackneyed."--MANCHESTER GUARDIAN.



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   A PAIR OF COUSINS

With Three Full-page Illustrations by C. J. STANILAND.
Crown 8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 2s. 6d.

The pair of cousins are Flower Callaway, who has a weakness for
appearing interesting and attractive in the eyes of others, and Avis
Goldenlea, a healthy-minded girl of real sterling worth.  "A Pair of
Cousins" contains much sensible teaching, particularly for girls of a
sentimental turn of mind.

"The simplicity of Miss Bramston's new story is one of its greatest
charms."--SCHOOLMISTRESS.



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   THE HEROINE OF A BASKET VAN

With Three Full-page Illustrations.  Crown 8vo. bevelled
boards, cloth gilt, price 2s. 6d.

The heroine is little Phenie, whom her father, Jonathan Redmoor,
takes with him to travel about the country in his basket van.

"There are plenty of incidents in the tale to interest the reader,
and, as such a story
should end, Phenie finds her right place after all."--SCHOOLMASTER.



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   UNCLE IVAN

With Three Full-page Illustrations.  Crown 8vo. bevelled
boards, cloth gilt, price 2s. 6d.

"Uncle Ivan" gives a striking and eventful picture of life in England
and Russia some forty years ago; together with some insight into the
methods of the Russian Government for dealing with political crime.

"A charming book, and one that must give pleasure to boys and girls, not to mention
any of their elders who may take it up to pass an idle hour."--SATURDAY REVIEW.



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   SILVER STAR VALLEY

With Four Full-page Illustrations by C. J. STANILAND.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 3s.

In this story Miss Bramston gives a striking and vivid picture of life
among a mining community in the Rocky Mountains.  The concluding
chapters furnish a brief account of the great social and religious
improvements that eventually took place in Silver Star Valley.

"Miss Bramston's story is spirited and interesting
throughout."--SATURDAY REVIEW.



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   BY C. R. COLERIDGE

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   Author of "An English Squire," "The Girls of Flaxley," &c.


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   FIFTY POUNDS

A Sequel to "The Green Girls of Greythorpe," &c.  With
Four Full-page Illustrations by W. S. STAGEY.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 3s.

A sequel to "The Green Girls of Greythorpe," showing what became
of the principal characters in that story after they had grown into young
men and young women.  The interest of the present story, however, to
the reader is in no sense dependent on its predecessor, but rather of a kind
likely to suit elder boys and girls.

"The book is very bright, the story never flags."--GIRLS'
FRIENDLY SOCIETY ASSOCIATES' JOURNAL.



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   THE GREEN GIRLS OF GREYTHORPE

With Four Full-page Illustrations by C. J. STANILAND.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 3s.

A story of an old endowed institution that has come under the notice
of the Charity Commissioners, who decide that a reorganisation and
extension of the school is necessary, and that the education it affords must
be brought into harmony with modern requirements.

"The story is very prettily told, and, although quiet in tone,
contains a full share
of incident and interest."--STANDARD.



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   MAUD FLORENCE NELLIE

Or, Don't Care.  With Four Full-page Illustrations by
C. J. STANILAND.  Crown 8vo, bevelled boards, cloth gilt,
price 3s.

A story, showing how a veritable scapegrace of a boy, Harry Whittaker,
and his careless sister, Florrie, are gradually brought to see the costs
that may be entailed by the spirit that says "Don't care" to every
gentle correction of a fault.



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   REUBEN EVERETT

With Four Full-page Illustrations by C. J. STANILAND.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 2s. 6d.

Miss Coleridge's "Reuben Everett" is the story of "a truant bird, that
thought his home a cage," and describes the early days of training colleges
and railways in England.

"'Reuben Everett' is a story remarkably true to life."--RECORD.




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   BY MARY H. DEBENHAM

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   Author of "Our New Prentice," &c.


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   FOR KING AND HOME

With Three Full-page Illustrations, by J. F. WEEDON.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 2s. 6d.

Of the rising in La Vendee during the great French Revolution, and of
the adventures that subsequently befell a well-to-do family there, together
with an English cousin Dorothy, who was staying at the chateau at the
time.

"The events are well combined and cleverly conceived."--MANCHESTER GUARDIAN.



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   MISTRESS PHIL

With Two Full-page Illustrations by C. O. MURRAY.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 2s.

"Mistress Phil" is Phillis Juliana Cheviot, and the story describes
her stay at Waltham Cross in the year 1760, and the results that followed
from it, giving also some lively pictures of mail-coaches and highwaymen.

"A book good enough for anybody to read, of whatever
age."--SCHOOL BOARD CHRONICLE.



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   A LITTLE CANDLE

With Five Full-page Illustrations by W. S. STACEY.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 3s. 6d.

Miss Debenham's story is concerned with Scotland in the stormy
days of Claverhouse.  The "Little Candle" that throws its gentle
warming beams on all around her is Bride Galbraith, who, by her tenderness
and grace, comforts and softens the time of trial and affliction.

"The character (of Bride Galbraith) is a very beautiful one,
and Miss Debenham has
drawn it with exquisite touch."--PUBLISHERS' CIRCULAR.



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   FAIRMEADOWS FARM

With Two Full-page Illustrations by W. S. STACEY.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 2s.

The scene is laid in Hampshire about the time of Monmouth's rebellion.
The story gives some vivid pictures of the opening at Winchester of Judge
Jeffreys' harsh campaign against the rebels, and of the clouds that hung
over the neighbourhood for a time in consequence.

"A simple yet capitally related story,
and the pathetic features are very effectively
realised."--LIVERPOOL COURIER.



ST. HELEN'S WELL

With Two Full-page Illustrations by C. J. STANILAND.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 2s.

"St Helen's Well" is a story of events that followed the rising in
1745 in favour of the Young Pretender.

"The perils and hardships of the adventure are graphically
described."--GUARDIAN.



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   BY THE AUTHOR OF "STARWOOD HALL"

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   KING'S FERRY

In the Days of the Press-gang.  With Three Full-page
Illustrations by W. S. STAGEY.  Crown 8vo. bevelled boards,
cloth gilt, price 2s. 6d.

Concerning a certain ship's doctor who came to Weymouth in press-gang
days, and, staying at King's Ferry, tempted Simon Lydgate, the
ferryman, to do wrong; of the punishment that fell on Lydgate, and of the
joy and peace that followed the home-coming of his boy, Wat.

"Like its predecessors, this volume is full
of picturesque pictures of old life and
manners."--TIMES.



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   JOAN'S VICTORY

With Two Full-page Illustrations by J. F. WEEDON.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 1s. 6d.

Descriptive of a young woman of quick, passionate temper and
stubborn purpose, and of the means by which a young child unconsciously
brought her back to her better self and helped to soften her heart.

"Admirably detailed.  Joan is really a very powerful psychological
study."--SPECTATOR.



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   PECKOVER'S MILL

A Story of the Great Frost of 1739.  With Five Full-page
Illustrations by W. S. STACEY.  Crown 8vo. bevelled
boards, cloth gilt, price 3s. 6d.

A story of a Jacobite conspiracy that was on foot in the time of the
great frost of 1739, showing how Silas Peckover came home from abroad
and took possession of the home of his forefathers, and how the sweet
womanliness and honesty of Mistress Ruth influenced him for good.

"Silas Peckover is a character quite worthy of Ainsworth."--ACADEMY.



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   CHRIS DERRICK

A Stormy Passage in a Boy's Life.  With Two Full-page
Illustrations by W. S. STACEY.  Crown 8vo. bevelled
boards, cloth gilt, price 2s.

This story supplies some lively sketches of what a mutiny often led to at
the beginning of the present century, and of the narrow shifts that smugglers
ran in escaping from the revenue officers.

"A spirited story of adventure."--SPECTATOR.



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   STARWOOD HALL

A Boy's Adventure.  With Two Full-page Illustrations by
C. J. STANILAND.  Crown 8vo.  bevelled boards, cloth gilt,
price 2s.

A stirring story of how an honest boy fell into the clutches of a band of
highwaymen, or "gentlemen of fortune," in the middle of the last century.

"The pictures of rural manners ... strike us as being extremely life-like."--TIMES.




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   BY ESMÉ STUART

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   Author of "The Little Brown Girl," "The Belfry of St. Jude's," &c.


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   THE SILVER MINE

An Underground Story.  With Four Full-page Illustrations by
W. S. STACEY.  Crown 8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt,
price 3s.

An account of life on the rocky Devonshire coast, an unsuccessful
attempt to reopen a disused silver mine, and a long-standing family feud
between the Redwoods and the Pennants, with the incidents that served
to bring it to an end.

"A very bright, attractive story.  The children are natural,
and the style is fresh
and spirited."--JOURNAL OF EDUCATION.



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   THE VICAR'S TRIO

With Five Full-page Illustrations by C. J. STANILAND.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 3s. 6d.

The story of how young Lord Faulconbridge, a peevish and irritable
boy, is brought to see that the rank and wealth with which he has been
endowed bring with them equally great responsibilities.



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   CAST ASHORE

With Four Full-page Illustrations by C. J. STANILAND.  Crown
8vo. bevelled boards, cloth gilt, price 3s.

It was little Mona, who was cast ashore on the North Lancashire
coast, after the total wreck of the ship in which she was travelling under
the care of her father's servant, Hanson.  How the unprincipled Jephtha
Toppin afterwards lures her away, with a view to earning a reward, and
how she is eventually rescued--both are told with considerable power and
vividness.

"A most exciting and yet perfectly wholesome tale of adventure."--BANNER.



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   FOR HALF-A-CROWN

With Four Full-page Illustrations.  Crown 8vo. bevelled boards,
cloth gilt, price 3s.

Half-a-crown is the price that Mrs. Chemmo, a retired housekeeper
living in the cathedral city of Hedderstone on an annuity from her former
mistress, pays for a little waif, Natalia, to an Italian colony in a squalid
Portsmouth alley.

"There is a freshness and brightness about the book which too many of the books
for girls in which religious sentiments are at all introduced lack
very wofully."--PALL MALL GAZETTE.



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   CARRIED OFF

A Story of Pirate Times.  With Four Full-page Illustrations
by J. F. WEEDON.  Crown 8vo. bevelled boards, cloth
gilt, price 3s.

It was fearless Harry Perm, the son of an Essex yeoman farmer, who
was "carried off" by Captain Henry Morgan, the famous buccaneer, and
his men, to the West Indies, where the Spanish settlements are attacked,
and adventures in plenty follow.

"Miss Stuart has gone with the times, and has given us a vigorous and well-told
story of the days of the buccaneers."--STANDARD.




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   BY M. E. PALGRAVE

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   Author of
   "Under the Blue Flag," "Miles Lambert's Three Chances," &c.



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   IN CHARGE

A Story of Rough Times.  With Five Full-page Illustrations
by W. S. STACEY.  Crown 8vo. bevelled boards, cloth
gilt, price 3s.

A stirring story of the days when smugglers were in plenty and
free-trading (as it was called) was in full swing.

"Full of incident and interest, very pleasantly told,
and breathes an excellent spirit
throughout."--WESTERN MORNING NEWS.



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   A PROMISE KEPT

With Four Full-page Illustrations.  Crown 8vo. bevelled
boards, cloth gilt, price 2s. 6d.

A story with a lofty purpose, showing the amount of self-denial that
is necessary in those who leave their home and kindred to engage in
missionary work in far-off lands.

"Its tone is elevated and serious.
Its purpose is to show the need of aiming at
a high standard of life, and the failure of those who only dream
noble things."--NATIONAL CHURCH.



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   LOST ON THE MOOR

By "TAFFY."  With Frontispiece.  Cloth boards, gilt, price 1s.

The story of Little Jack, how he was lost on the moor in a thick fog
through his brother's disobedience, and how he was found and finally
restored to his home.

"An evening will be very pleasantly spent
and attended with much good in reading
this interesting story."--SCHOOLMASTER.



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   NATIONAL SOCIETY'S RECENT PUBLICATIONS

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   THE LIFE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR
   JESUS CHRIST

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   *Illustrated from the Italian Painters of the Fourteenth, Fifteenth,
   and Sixteenth Centuries.*

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A Preface has been furnished to this volume, on the Growth of Religious
Art in Italy, by Mr. F.  T.  PALGRAVE, who has also added Critical and
Explanatory Notes on the Pictures and their Painters.

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Richly bound in cloth boards, bevelled, gilt edges, price 15s.

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The Church Quarterly Review
says: "This book is a perfect gem....  It is, indeed, a relief to turn to
such matchless designs as these.  It
would be impossible to speak too
highly of the knowledge of the history
of art, the elevation of thought, and
the elegance of style which Mr. Palgrave displays."

The Spectator says:--"The drawings are executed with much skill;
and the chromo-lithographic process
is here employed with delicacy and
success.  Mr. Palgrave's notes are
pertinent and instructive.  His
Introduction is able and eloquent."

The Academy says:--"This is a
very beautiful book, and the
chromolithographs with which it is adorned,
or rather, which are illustrated by the
text, reflect great credit on the care
and skill of all concerned in their production."

The Athenaeum says--"Byway of
preface, a highly intelligent and
critical essay on the growth, aims, and
developments of religious art in Italy
by Mr. F. T. Palgrave.  Each well-weighed and thoughtful sentence is
worth reading.  The general purport
of the book is well represented by the
title.  Mr. Palgrave vouches for the
beauty of the drawings made by
Mr. Goodall, from which the chromolithographs were taken....  A very
ambitious effort has been extremely
successful."

The Portfolio says:--"The eloquent
and informing preface and the critical
notes on the pictures by Mr. F. T. Palgrave,
are addressed to an adult
and cultured audience....  The literary part of the volume deserves more
careful consideration than is usually
accorded to letterpress penned to
accompany even high-class illustrations."

The Art Journal says:--"A work
which should be the most popular, as
it must be the handsomest, of Christmas books bearing a religious
character....  Twenty-four wonderful
little chromo-lithographs from drawings made on the spot....  The
volume is in every way a beautiful
one."

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THE STORY OF THE CHILDHOOD OF CHRIST.  By R. E. H.  2s. 6d.

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THE STORY OF THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST.  By R. E. H.  2s. 6d.

.. vspace:: 1

THE STORY OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.  By R. E. H.  2s. 6d.

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THE STORY OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.  By R. E. H.  2s. 6d.

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   Each of the above four Volumes is illustrated
   by Six Pictures from the Italian Painters
   of the Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Sixteenth Centuries.

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   NATIONAL SOCIETY'S DEPOSITORY, SANCTUARY, WESTMINSTER.

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.. pgfooter::